Locals set fire to Ebola facilities in protest after hospital denies family's request to reclaim deceased patient's remains

Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has witnessed a violent outburst, with residents setting fire to parts of an Ebola isolation facility after a hospital denied them access to the body of a man believed to have succumbed to the virus, who was a local footballer known in the community and had played for several local teams.

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The incident occurred at Rwampara General Hospital near Bunia in Ituri province, the epicentre of the outbreak, where health authorities refused to release the body, prompting relatives and supporters to attempt to retrieve it, leading to unrest and violence.

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As tensions escalated, police fired warning shots in a bid to restore order, while medical personnel at the hospital were subsequently placed under military protection.

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Health officials have emphasized that Ebola victims must undergo controlled burials, as their bodies remain highly infectious and can continue to spread the disease after death, but the deceased's mother has rejected claims that he died from Ebola, instead attributing his death to typhoid fever.

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According to Jean Claude Mukendi, coordinator of the Ebola security response in Ituri, many residents are struggling to come to terms with the reality of the outbreak, a sentiment echoed by local politician Luc Malembe Malembe, who blamed the violence on misinformation and lack of awareness about the disease.

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Malembe Malembe noted that some people in the community believe Ebola is a fabrication, created by outsiders to generate income, and that this misconception is tragic, adding that two isolation tents, including one containing a body awaiting burial, were destroyed in the fire.

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Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner described the situation as “very frightening” for affected communities, and noted that authorities are intensifying efforts to ensure residents feel “safe, understood and heard”.

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The World Health Organization has recommended “safe and dignified burials” for Ebola victims, with specially trained teams handling bodies using protective gear, and on Friday, the WHO raised the Ebola outbreak risk in DR Congo to “very high” at the national level.

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WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reported that the country has recorded about 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths linked to the outbreak, highlighting the severity of the situation.