Angry residents in eastern Congo have attacked two Ebola treatment centers in a week, forcing patients to flee and raising concerns about the spread of the virus. On Sunday, young men stormed the Mongbwalu General Hospital, demanding the bodies of their relatives and forcing medical staff to evacuate patients amid gunfire. No injuries were immediately reported. The attack followed a similar incident on Friday, when residents burned a Doctors Without Borders tent in Mongbwalu, allowing 18 suspected Ebola patients to escape. Earlier, on Thursday, another treatment center in Rwampara was set ablaze after authorities banned families from retrieving the body of a suspected Ebola victim.
The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. Bodies of Ebola victims remain highly contagious, and authorities have mandated that burials be handled by officials to prevent further spread. However, these measures have sparked protests from families and communities, leading to violent confrontations. On Saturday, a communal burial in Rwampara took place under tight security, with armed soldiers and police overseeing the process as distraught family members watched from a distance.
The Congolese government has banned funeral gatherings of more than 50 people in northeastern Congo to curb the virus's spread. Health workers and humanitarian organizations continue to face resistance from local communities, complicating efforts to contain the outbreak.