DR Congo bans mass gatherings amid Ebola outbreak

The interior ministry of the Democratic Republic of Congo ordered a ban on all mass gatherings in the capital Kinshasa and in the provinces of Tshopo, Haut‑Uele and Bas‑Uele on 27 June. The directive, issued by Vice‑Prime Minister Jacquemain Shabani, aims to prevent the spread of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which has infected roughly 1,300 people and killed about 360 across the eastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu.

Opposition leaders, including Prince Epenge of the Lamuka coalition, condemned the measure as a political move designed to block a planned 8 July protest against proposed constitutional changes. The ban comes amid ongoing contact‑tracing efforts after a pregnant woman who died of Ebola in Ituri was transported by motorcycle to Kisangani in Tshopo, and a confirmed case was later identified in Haut‑Uele.

The United Nations warned that the outbreak could cost Africa up to $3.6 billion and lead to hundreds of thousands of job losses if it spreads further, highlighting the broader regional economic stakes.