In brief
The interior ministry announced a ban on mass gatherings in the capital Kinshasa and three bordering provinces to stop the spread of Ebola. The order follows a surge in cases and deaths across Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu, with over 1,200 confirmed infections. Opposition groups accuse the government of using the ban to silence protests slated for July, and the move has sparked debate over public health versus political control. The CDC Africa chief announced potential antiviral trials, highlighting the urgent need for new treatments.
The ban comes after a jump of 47 new cases across the affected provinces and after the arrival of a doctor who tested positive for Ebola in France but crossed through Kinshasa on his way back home from an Ebola treatment centre in the epicentre of the outbreak. While the authorities say there are no confirmed cases yet in the capital, the government insists the motion is a necessary precaution.
Opposition groups have taken issue with the sweeping order. Prince Epenge, spokesperson for the Lamuka coalition, and Rodrique Ramazani, secretary‑general of Envol, argue that the ban serves political ends rather than public health. They say the government is targeting a protest march scheduled for 8 July, organised by the C64 coalition, which opposes a law that would let President Felix Tshisekedi rule beyond his two‑term limit. No statement has yet come from the government defending the ban.
The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there is currently no vaccine. However, the head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention announced that trials for new antiviral drugs could begin this week. Both Africa CDC and US public health authorities warn that the outbreak could become one of the largest ever, owing to weeks of delayed diagnosis and conflicts in eastern Congo. The M23 rebel group controls significant parts of North and South Kivu, further complicating response efforts.
A recent map of the region shows confirmed Ebola cases highlighted in pink in the three eastern provinces and the areas where public gatherings have been banned marked purple, including Kinshasa. The map underscores how far the outbreak has travelled from the epicentre in the east to the densely populated capital.
