KINSHASA, May 23 (Xinhua) -- The Ebola outbreak spreading through eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is increasingly testing the country's fragile response capacity as the virus reaches areas controlled by the March 23 Movement, where insecurity, population displacement, limited access and political mistrust are complicating efforts to contain the disease.
The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, was declared on May 15, the 17th outbreak in the country since 1976. It has left 177 suspected deaths and almost 750 suspected cases, according to the World Health Organization, amid the absence of an approved vaccine or specific treatment for this strain.
In the areas under M23 control, confirmed cases have been reported, deepening concern that the virus could spread through major urban centers already affected by conflict and population movements.
CENTER OF PRESSURE
In Goma, the capital of North Kivu province and the largest city under rebel rule, two 60-bed Ebola treatment centers are under construction, though humanitarian assessments warn that capacity may fall short if suspected cases continue to rise. One treatment center has been installed in Munigi on the northern outskirts of the city, the M23 group said after announcing a confirmed Ebola case on May 17.
The city is considered particularly vulnerable because of its dense population, overcrowded living conditions and limited access to basic services. Goma has a population of about 750,000, including more than 333,000 internally displaced people and 154,000 refugees and asylum seekers, according to figures cited in humanitarian assessments.
On Thursday, the M23 also announced a confirmed case in Bukavu, the provincial capital of South Kivu, a city it captured in February 2025.
The UN refugee agency, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, has said more than two million people are internally displaced in the affected provinces of Ituri and North Kivu. WHO officials have said their teams remain present in Goma despite the insecurity.
"We always have a team in Goma, and we always continue to provide support to the population," said Marie Roseline Belizaire, the WHO's acting regional emergency director and incident manager. "We never left Goma during all the insecurity happening, so we will continue staying to provide support to the community we serve."
The M23 in Goma has announced contingency measures to prevent a wider spread of the virus. Benjamin Mbonimpa, a senior official within the rebel group, said "coordination with medical teams is already in place" to ensure a rapid response and protect the population against the health threat.
But residents and local health workers said the security situation could weaken the response.
"We are afraid that the war will make things even more complicated," said Zawadi Clarisse, a trader in downtown Goma. "Most of the doctors specialized in Ebola response are no longer in the region because of the current situation. Hospitals no longer work as before. How will this be handled under such special circumstances?"
A staff member with a local health organization said Ebola has long triggered community resistance in North Kivu, while the current political situation may make people even more reluctant to go to health facilities.
"Authorities will struggle to trace contacts and sensitize the population properly," the staff member said.
According to humanitarian sources, persistent insecurity could hamper contact tracing, the deployment of medical personnel and community awareness campaigns.
TRADING ACCUSATIONS
The spread of Ebola into eastern provinces has sharpened tensions between the DRC government and the M23 rebel group.
DRC officials said the presence of the disease in areas outside government control is alarming because the rebel movement lacks the capacity and experience needed to manage a major epidemic.
Government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya said in an interview with French media on Friday that the rebel group has "no experience" in managing epidemics.
Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner also said the disease in rebel-held areas was alarming because the M23 was "thoroughly ill-equipped" to fight it, noting that the government and the rebels were not communicating on the outbreak.
The M23 has rejected accusations that it is politicizing the health emergency. At a press conference in Goma, Freddy Kanyiki, an epidemiologist and senior M23 official tasked with coordinating the Ebola response in areas under the movement's control, said the group is ready to cooperate with all actors involved in the response.
"We are ready to collaborate with everyone without any political condition in order to support the response and save the lives of the population threatened by this pandemic," Kanyiki said.
The movement also said areas under its control should benefit from international support mobilized for the Ebola response, including financial and logistical assistance.
The dispute has put Goma International Airport back at the center of the crisis. The airport has remained closed since the M23 took control of the city, and its reopening has been discussed for months in political negotiations, alongside proposals for a humanitarian corridor.
Muyaya said closed borders and the continued closure of the airport would complicate the movement of samples, experts and medical supplies. He said the response in rebel-held areas requires reinforcement, including health personnel and specialized equipment, but added that "with a closed airport, it is complicated."
However, the M23 said the reopening of the airport remains linked to broader negotiations and should not be turned into a precondition during the health emergency. ■