The Democratic Republic of Congo's government has implemented a ban on mass gatherings in the capital, Kinshasa, and three other provinces – Tshopo, Haut-Uele, and Bas-Uele – as a preventative measure against the spread of Ebola. This directive, announced by Interior Minister Jacquemain Shabani, comes despite the current outbreak being predominantly confined to the eastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu, located some 1,800 kilometres from the bustling capital.
The decision has drawn sharp criticism from opposition politicians, who allege the ban is a politically motivated attempt to stifle a planned protest. The demonstration, organised by the C64 coalition, was scheduled for 8 July and aimed to oppose a proposed law that critics fear could allow President Felix Tshisekedi to exceed his two-term limit. Prince Epenge, spokesperson for the opposition Lamuka coalition, labelled the government's move as 'political' given the absence of confirmed Ebola cases in Kinshasa. Rodrigue Ramazani, secretary-general of the opposition party Envol, urged protesters to disregard the ban, calling it a 'political manoeuvre rather than a public health measure'. The government has yet to respond to these accusations.
Concerns about Ebola reaching Kinshasa have been heightened by the recent case of a doctor who tested positive for the virus in France after passing through the city. The doctor had been working at an Ebola treatment centre in one of the outbreak's epicentres before his return journey. Following the public announcement of his test results, the Congolese government instituted a 21-day quarantine for travellers moving from Ebola-affected areas to other parts of the country. Mass gathering bans have already been in place for several weeks in the most affected eastern regions.
The latest figures from the health ministry indicate that confirmed Ebola cases across the affected provinces jumped by 47 on Saturday, bringing the total number of infections to 1,274, with 360 known deaths. Ituri province remains the hardest hit, accounting for over 90% of all infections. The World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted that ongoing conflict in eastern DR Congo, particularly the M23 rebel group's control over parts of North and South Kivu, is significantly impeding efforts to contain the outbreak.
The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo species of the virus, for which there is currently no vaccine. However, there is a glimmer of hope as the head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) announced on Monday that trials for new antiviral drugs could commence as early as this week. Both Africa CDC and US public health authorities have warned that this outbreak has the potential to become one of the largest ever, partly due to the delay in its initial confirmation.