DR Congo faces record Ebola outbreak as DRC and Rwanda pledge de‑escalation

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) reports more than 1,000 confirmed Ebola cases and 267 deaths in the first month of a Bundibugyo ebolavirus outbreak, the highest initial caseload for any African Ebola event. WHO director of health emergency alert and response operations Abdirahman Mahamud warned that the response must expand as cases have appeared in several displacement camps, with at least 25 infections and 14 deaths reported there. Kenya halted construction of a US‑backed quarantine facility at Laikipia Air Base after a court order, amid protests that previously left three people dead.

In a separate development, DRC and Rwanda, mediated by the United States, Qatar, Togo and the African Union, met in London and committed to immediately de‑escalate tensions, especially around Minembwe. Both sides pledged full implementation of their 2025 peace agreement, support for joint verification missions, and cooperation to end the conflict with the M23 rebel group, while acknowledging the worsening humanitarian situation linked to the Ebola outbreak.