Congo Police Fire Warning Shots After 2 Ebola Tents Burn in Burial Dispute
Updated
Updated · Reuters · May 21
Congo Police Fire Warning Shots After 2 Ebola Tents Burn in Burial Dispute
16 articles · Updated · Reuters · May 21
Two ALIMA treatment tents with eight beds were burned in Rwampara after police used tear gas and warning shots to disperse relatives and neighbors seeking to take a suspected Ebola victim's body.
The clash began when the family of local footballer Eli Munongo Wangu rejected a safe burial, disputed Ebola as the cause of death and tried to bury him themselves.
ALIMA said six patients being treated in the tents were moved back to the hospital, while officials began tracing any patients who may have fled and other contacts.
The unrest underscores a major containment risk because Ebola victims' bodies remain highly infectious, and an unsafe funeral in April helped spread the current outbreak.
DRC health ministry data show 670 suspected cases and 160 suspected deaths in what authorities say is already the country's third-largest Ebola outbreak.
Is this new Ebola outbreak already spiraling out of control amid deep community mistrust?
Can health officials bridge the cultural burial divide before this Ebola strain spreads further?
Bundibugyo Ebola Outbreak 2026: 139 Deaths, Cross-Border Spread, and the Crisis of Trust in Central Africa
Overview
On May 20, 2026, deep-seated anger and mistrust among the people of Rwampara in the Democratic Republic of Congo erupted when residents set fire to an Ebola treatment center. This act was fueled by frustration and fear caused by the prolonged impact of the Ebola epidemic, as Red Cross workers were seen handling the body of a victim that same day. The burning of the facility highlights the critical challenge of gaining and maintaining community trust during public health crises. The government quickly condemned the attack, underscoring the urgent need for trust-building in disease response efforts.