An angry mob attacked an Ebola treatment facility in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo after relatives of a man suspected to have died from the virus were prevented from taking his body for burial, escalating tensions surrounding the outbreak in the region.
The violence occurred at Rwampara General Hospital near Bunia in Ituri province, where protesters reportedly set fire to medical tents used as Ebola isolation wards and hurled stones at healthcare workers and security personnel.
According to reports by the BBC, police fired warning shots to disperse the crowd as the unrest spiraled into chaos. Local politician Luc Malembe, who witnessed the incident, said widespread mistrust and misinformation about Ebola fueled the violence.
“People are not properly informed or sensitised about what is happening,” Malembe said. “For a certain segment of the population, especially in remote areas, Ebola is an invention by outsiders — it does not exist.”
At least two medical tents were destroyed during the attack, including one housing the body of the deceased man awaiting what health authorities described as a “safe and dignified burial” in line with Ebola prevention protocols. The deceased, reportedly a local footballer known in the community, was believed by some residents to have died from typhoid rather than Ebola, further deepening suspicion toward health officials.
Six patients receiving treatment in the affected isolation wards were initially feared missing during the violence. However, medical charity ALIMA later confirmed that all patients were safe and still receiving care at the hospital. One healthcare worker was reportedly injured in the stone-throwing before security forces restored order. Following the incident, medical staff at the facility were placed under military protection.
The World Health Organization has classified the outbreak as a “public health emergency of international concern,” though it has not yet reached pandemic status. Health officials say hundreds of suspected Ebola cases and more than 130 deaths have been recorded in eastern Congo, while neighbouring Uganda has also detected infections and tightened border controls to contain the spread of the virus.
