By Gloria Ogbonna
A new Ebola infection has been confirmed in the South Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), raising serious concerns among health officials and international epidemiologists.
The latest case is particularly alarming because it emerged in a remote rural area controlled by violent insurgent groups, located hundreds of miles away from the main center of the ongoing Ebola outbreak. Health experts fear the appearance of the virus in a conflict zone could make efforts to contain the disease far more difficult.
News of the infection came from rebel authorities controlling the South Kivu provincial capital of Bukavu, a city that fell into insurgent hands in February 2025 after months of unrest and fighting.
The region is currently under the control of the Congo River Alliance, known in French as Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), a coalition that includes the notorious M23 rebel group. The AFC was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in July 2024 over accusations of destabilizing the DRC and committing widespread human rights abuses. The M23 group has long been accused of receiving support from neighboring Rwanda, an allegation that has fueled tensions in the region for years.
According to statements released by AFC officials, the Ebola patient was a 28-year-old man who reportedly traveled from Kisangani, a northern Congolese city, to the Bukavu area before falling ill. The patient later died from the virus and was “buried safely” in accordance with Ebola safety protocols. However, the rebels provided few details about the man’s movements, contacts, or the timeline of his illness.
The development has puzzled health experts because no Ebola infections had previously been reported around Kisangani. Until now, the outbreak had mainly been concentrated in the northeastern Ituri province, while additional cases were also recorded in neighboring North Kivu.
The sudden appearance of Ebola in South Kivu has increased fears that the virus may be spreading unnoticed through population movements across eastern Congo, especially in areas affected by armed conflict where healthcare systems are weak and surveillance is limited.
South Kivu regional health spokesman Claude Bahizire revealed that authorities are currently monitoring two suspected Ebola cases in the province. One of the cases is the deceased man reported by the rebels, while another patient remains isolated as doctors await final laboratory test results.
Meanwhile, the United Nations has also confirmed another Ebola-related case in South Kivu. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York that the patient was a woman who had earlier been identified as a close contact of two Ebola-infected individuals who traveled from Beni to South Kivu last week.
According to the UN, the woman had been traveling with her two young children, aged 7 months and 17 months. Tragically, both the mother and her 17-month-old child later died from Ebola complications, while the 7-month-old baby is currently receiving medical treatment under close supervision.
The insurgent authorities have also reported another Ebola infection in Goma, the strategic North Kivu city near the Ugandan border that is also under rebel control.
Residents in Goma told the BBC that many basic public health precautions are being ignored despite the growing threat of the deadly virus. Measures such as frequent handwashing, avoiding handshakes, and limiting large gatherings have reportedly become difficult for many residents to follow because of worsening poverty and insecurity.
“It’s too much to ask people struggling to eat to follow these rules,” one Goma resident said, highlighting the harsh realities facing civilians caught between armed conflict, economic hardship, and a dangerous disease outbreak.
Health experts warn that containing Ebola in eastern Congo may become increasingly complicated due to insecurity, population displacement, poor access to healthcare, and mistrust between civilians and authorities. Aid agencies fear that if swift action is not taken, the virus could spread further into overcrowded communities already suffering from years of violence and instability.
Source Breitbart
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