Politics
DRC bans gatherings in Kinshasa and other provinces to curb Ebola – SABC News
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has banned public gatherings in the capital, Kinshasa and three other provinces in an effort to curb the spread of an Ebola outbreak.
The ban follows a rise in cases of the contagious disease in the Ituri province.
Health officials say more than 1,200 people have been infected with Ebola and at least 360 have died since last month.
The DRC Interior Minister Jacquemain Shabani announced the ban on public gatherings in Kinshasa, Haut Uele, Bas Uele and Tshopo provinces.
He said the move is aimed at preventing the spread of the Ebola virus.
The ban comes a week before a planned countrywide protest by opposition parties calling for the resignation of President Tshisekedi.
The opposition leaders accuse the president of seeking to amend the constitution to enable him to remain in office beyond the end of his final term in 2028.
President Tshisekedi recently said he is not seeking another term but would accept one if the people asked him to run again.
Leading anti-government figures are now mobilising their supporters for the demonstration slated for July 8, but ministers say the opposition gathering will not be allowed to proceed as part of Ebola containment measures.
Earlier last month, police broke up a protest organised by opposition parties outside the parliament in Kinshasa.
Opposition leaders said two of their supporters were killed, but the government has denied this.
The DRC is grappling with an armed conflict in the east of the country, and the fast-spreading Ebola outbreak has occurred in a conflict zone, complicating health workers’ efforts to contain the disease.
Congo bans gatherings in Kinshasa and three provinces over Ebola outbreak https://t.co/cu0HrrAixi https://t.co/cu0HrrAixi
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 29, 2026
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