DR Congo Imposes Mass Gathering Ban in Kinshasa to Curb Ebola Outbreak

Mass gatherings have been prohibited in Kinshasa, DR Congo’s capital, along with three other regions to control the Ebola outbreak.

The disease, currently confined to eastern provinces approximately 1,800 km from Kinshasa, poses a risk of spreading to the city’s 18 million residents.

The restricted areas—Tshopo, Haut-Uele, and Bas-Uele—share borders with the outbreak zones where Ebola cases have been confirmed.

Opposition leaders accuse the government of using the ban to suppress a planned protest. Prince Epenge, representing the Lamuka coalition, called the measure “political,” noting no Ebola cases in Kinshasa.

Rodrigue Ramazani, secretary-general of the Envol party, urged protesters to defy the directive, calling it a “political maneuver rather than a health response.”

The government has not addressed these claims.

The protest, organized by the C64 coalition opposing a law allowing President Tshisekedi to extend his term, remains a focal point of contention.

Although Kinshasa remains unaffected, a French-based doctor who tested positive for Ebola traveled through the city en route to an affected area after working at a treatment center.

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