Congo-Kinshasa: Violence Erupts at Ebola Hospital in DR Congo Over Burial Row

WHO Africa
Democratic Republic of the Congo declares Ebola virus disease outbreak.
22 May 2026
allAfrica.com

An angry crowd attacked and partially burned sections of Rwampara General Hospital in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

This comes after relatives and supporters of a young man believed to have died from Ebola were prevented from removing his body for burial. Protesters, who reportedly doubt the existence of the virus, threw stones and set fire to Ebola isolation tents.

The police intervened to try to calm the situation, but i n the chaos, the police fired warning shots to disperse the crowd.

The body of a dead Ebola victim is highly infectious, and the authorities need to ensure safe burial to stop the spread of the virus.

The World Health Organization (WHO)  has called the virus a "public health emergency of international concern". The agency said 139 people in DR Congo were thought to have died from Ebola, out of 600 suspected cases.

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