Ebola treatment center burned as Congo burial clashes escalate

Friday 22 - 07:20

By: Dakir Madiha

Ebola treatment center burned as Congo burial clashes escalate

Violence erupted in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo after residents stormed an Ebola treatment center in the town of Rwampara during a confrontation over burial procedures linked to the country’s latest Ebola outbreak. Police fired warning shots and used tear gas to disperse crowds after angry residents attempted to recover the body of a man believed to have died from the virus.

During the unrest, attackers set fire to two treatment tents inside the facility, forcing medical teams to evacuate. Six patients fled the center amid the chaos, including three individuals with confirmed Ebola infections. Authorities later deployed military forces to secure the site and protect healthcare workers operating in the region.

The incident reflects growing tensions between public health authorities and local communities as officials attempt to contain the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s 17th Ebola outbreak, now among the largest ever recorded in the country. Health teams have imposed strict safe burial protocols because Ebola remains highly contagious after death through contact with bodily fluids. Some local residents, however, view these measures as incompatible with traditional funeral practices.

The outbreak continues to accelerate rapidly. Congolese authorities reported 670 suspected cases and 160 suspected deaths as of Thursday. Researchers at the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis in London estimated that the actual number of infections may already exceed 1,000 cases.

The epidemic involves the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which currently has no approved vaccine or treatment. The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on May 17 after warning that the epidemic was spreading quickly. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed concern over both the scale and speed of transmission.

Health experts warned that the escape of infected patients could significantly complicate containment efforts in affected communities. WHO officials estimate the outbreak may continue for at least two more months, while an effective vaccine against the Bundibugyo strain may not become available for another six to nine months.

The region has previously experienced violent resistance during Ebola response operations. Between 2018 and 2020, attacks on treatment centers and healthcare staff disrupted efforts to control another Ebola epidemic in eastern Congo that killed nearly 2,300 people.