The Democratic Republic of Congo interior ministry, Jacquemain Shabani, has issued a nationwide ban on mass gatherings in the capital, Kinshasa, and three surrounding provinces to curb the spread of Ebola after several new cases were confirmed in the eastern region.
The current outbreak has been detected in Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu provinces—about 1,800 km from the capital—yet officials warn that Kinshasa’s 18‑million‑person population could become a hot‑spot if the virus spreads.
The ban extends to the adjacent provinces of Tshopo, Haut‑Uele and Bas‑Uele, which border the affected areas. Local opposition leaders have contended that the restriction is politically motivated, intended to suppress a protest march scheduled for 8 July by the C64 coalition.
Prince Epenge, spokesperson for the Lamuka coalition, called the order “political” and said that no Ebola cases had been confirmed in Kinshasa. Rodrigue Ramazani of the Envol party urged protesters to ignore the ban, describing it as a “political manoeuvre.”
Although Kinshasa has no confirmed cases, a doctor who tested positive for Ebola in France returned home through the city after working at an Ebola treatment centre in the outbreak’s epicentre.
Following the announcement, the government ordered a 21‑day quarantine for travellers moving from the affected provinces to other parts of the country.
The health ministry reports the outbreak is currently confined to the three eastern provinces, with 1,274 confirmed cases and 360 deaths. Uganda, a neighbour, also reports 20 infected individuals and two deaths.
The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which no vaccine exists, but the Africa Centres for Disease Control are in talks to start antiviral trials. The WHO warns that ongoing conflict in eastern Congo, with the M23 rebel group controlling large areas, complicates containment efforts.
