Ebola reaches M23-held area in eastern DR Congo

A first Ebola infection has been confirmed in an area controlled by the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to the group’s spokesman.

The confirmed case was reported in South Kivu province, where the M23 militia has maintained control since capturing the regional capital, Bukavu, in February 2025.

The outbreak adds another challenge to efforts to contain the deadly Ebola virus, which the World Health Organization has already declared an international emergency.

Health response operations have been complicated by ongoing insecurity and conflict in eastern Congo, where fighting between the Congolese army and M23 rebels has persisted for years.

The M23 group has established a parallel administration in areas under its control after capturing large territories in the mineral-rich eastern region with support from Rwanda.

But analysts note that the armed group has no previous experience managing a major Ebola outbreak, a disease responsible for more than 15,000 deaths in Africa over the past half-century.

According to the M23 spokesman, tests “confirm a new positive case” in Bukavu.

He said the infected person had travelled from Kisangani, a major city in Tshopo province, where no cases connected to the current outbreak had been officially identified before now.

Africans Angle News