In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a crowd burned Ebola isolation tents and attacked a hospital in the town of Rwampara, eastern Ituri province, amid a heated dispute over the burial of a man believed to have died from the virus.
Witnesses described how the confrontation escalated quickly. A family had arrived to bury their son when a large group demanded the release of another body belonging to a man named Ellie. The situation turned violent, with the crowd throwing stones, setting fire to isolation tents, and attacking a waiting ambulance. The family’s son’s body was left burned in the chaos despite a coffin already being prepared.
“We came to bury my son and then we saw these people coming in numbers asking for the body of someone called Ellie,” the family member recounted. “They started throwing stones and set fire to the tents and my son’s body was left burned there… With this Ebola outbreak, it’s complicated.”
Health officials stressed that safe burial practices are essential to prevent further transmission, as the virus can spread through contact with infected bodies. Authorities described the incident as a serious setback, noting that the crowd targeted facilities specifically set up to combat the outbreak.
“We were alerted of this public disorder and upon our arrival we saw the damage,” one official stated. “There are tents with eight beds that have been completely burned. They were set up for the Ebola response. A body waiting to be buried today was also burned. This misunderstanding comes from people who do not yet understand the reality of this disease.”
The incident highlights growing fear and mistrust as the Ebola outbreak continues to expand. The World Health Organization reports more than 600 suspected cases and at least 139 suspected deaths linked to the outbreak in the DRC and neighboring Uganda. Experts caution that confirmed figures likely represent only a fraction of the true scale, particularly as the virus has reached densely populated areas.
Officials affiliated with the M23 armed group formally declared the outbreak in South Kivu province, hundreds of kilometers from the original epicenter. In a statement on May 20, 2026 there was one confirmed case and one recorded death.
The WHO has classified the situation as a public health emergency of international concern, warning that the situation is evolving rapidly and requires immediate mobilization from health services and the population.
The current outbreak involves the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there is no approved vaccine. Testing capacity in the DRC remains severely limited at just six tests per hour. Health experts have indicated that two possible vaccines are under consideration, but development could take between three to nine months.
In a region already strained by conflict and population displacement, health workers continue efforts to contain the virus while working to rebuild public trust in response measures.
