DR CONGO BANS MASS GATHERINGS IN KINSHASA OVER EBOLA SPREAD FEARS

The Democratic Republic of Congo's interior minister announced a ban on mass gatherings in Kinshasa and three other areas to prevent the spread of Ebola, according to a statement made on 29 June 2026. The current outbreak has been confirmed in three eastern provinces approximately 1,800 kilometres from Kinshasa, a city with a population of 18 million. Authorities expressed concern that the virus could reach the capital. The three additional provinces affected by the ban — Tshopo, Haut-Uele and Bas-Uele — border regions where Ebola cases have been recorded.

Opposition figures have stated that the ban aims to prevent a protest march scheduled for 8 July rather than to contain disease spread. Prince Epenge, spokesperson for the opposition Lamuka coalition, told the BBC on Monday that the decision was "political" because no cases have been confirmed in Kinshasa and said the order was "not legitimate". Rodrigue Ramazani, secretary-general of opposition party Envol, called the directive "a political manoeuvre rather than a public health measure" and urged protesters to disregard it. The government has not issued a response to these allegations.

According to the health ministry, confirmed Ebola cases remain confined to Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu provinces. A doctor who tested positive for Ebola in France had travelled through Kinshasa after working at an Ebola treatment centre in one of the outbreak epicentres. Following public disclosure of his positive test, the Congolese government ordered a mandatory 21-day quarantine for travellers moving from affected areas to other parts of the country.