Congo protesters set fire to Ebola treatment tents in dispute over victim's body

RWAMPARA, Democratic Republic of Congo – Protesters set fire to tents for Ebola patients after authorities refused to hand over the body of a local footballer they wanted to bury themselves, Reuters witnesses said. Police fired warning shots and used tear gas to disperse the crowd, highlighting the challenges facing authorities in enforcing safe burials during the ongoing outbreak.

The incident occurred in Rwampara, a town in Ituri province hard hit by the latest Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no approved vaccine or treatment. Bodies of Ebola victims remain highly infectious after death, and unsafe burials, where family members handle bodies without protective equipment, are a major driver of transmission.

The first known case in this outbreak died in Bunia, Ituri’s provincial capital, on April 24. The virus spread after the body was returned to the nearby town of Mongbwalu, where mourners touched the deceased during the funeral.

Protesters Burn Down Patient Tents

The family of footballer Eli Munongo Wangu refused a safe burial for him on Thursday, disputing that he had died of Ebola and demanding to take his body. Authorities eventually conducted a safe burial overnight into Friday. Munongo, a well-known local player, had been admitted to the hospital days earlier. A doctor confirmed he was a suspected Ebola case, with samples sent for testing. His mother said she believed he had died of typhoid fever, not Ebola.

Angry family members, friends, and neighbors gathered outside the hospital, defying instructions that all bodies must be buried safely, said Jean-Claude Mukendi, a senior police officer coordinating security in Ituri. Soldiers tried to calm tensions before police intervened with tear gas and warning shots.

The crowd then set fire to two tents operated by medical charity ALIMA, which contained eight beds. The fire destroyed the tents and one body awaiting burial. Six patients receiving treatment in the tents were safely transferred to the hospital, ALIMA said.

Authorities Track Patients and Contacts

Local customary chief Batakura Zamundu Mugeni said authorities are working with health officials to locate any patients who may have fled, as well as their contacts. Mukendi attributed the unrest to “young people who do not grasp the reality of the disease.”

Mistrust and disinformation have hindered past Ebola responses in the DRC. During the 2018–2020 outbreak in North Kivu, hundreds of health centers were attacked by armed groups and angry civilians, resulting in nearly 2,300 deaths.

The current outbreak, declared Friday by the Congolese government, is already the third-largest on record, with 160 suspected deaths out of 670 suspected cases, according to the DRC health ministry.

Congo’s national soccer team has canceled World Cup buildup events in Kinshasa due to the outbreak and will continue preparations in Belgium to comply with U.S. travel restrictions, a team spokesperson said.

-Reporting by Benoit Nyemba in Rwampara; Writing by Clement Bonnerot; Editing by Robbie Corey-Boulet and Gareth Jones/Reuters