Violence erupted at a hospital in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo on Thursday after angry protesters attacked and set fire to Ebola treatment tents following a dispute over safe-burial procedures for a suspected victim of the disease.
The unrest occurred at Rwampara General Hospital near the city of Bunia, where security forces reportedly fired warning shots and used tear gas to disperse crowds after tensions escalated outside the facility.
According to local reports, the confrontation began after the death of a 24-year-old footballer who had been admitted to the hospital with suspected Ebola symptoms. Medical officials declined requests from relatives to immediately release the body for traditional burial rites, citing public health protocols designed to prevent the spread of the virus.
Health experts say Ebola victims remain highly infectious after death, making traditional funeral practices involving physical contact a major transmission risk during outbreaks.
Witnesses said the crowd later forced its way into the hospital complex, where protesters targeted isolation facilities operated by humanitarian medical teams. Two treatment tents used for Ebola care were destroyed in the fire, while aid workers and patients were evacuated from the area.
The international medical charity Alliance for International Medical Action confirmed that several patients receiving treatment were safely relocated to other parts of the hospital during the chaos.
The incident comes as authorities struggle to contain the latest Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo, which health officials say involves the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus. Unlike the more common Zaire strain, there is currently no widely approved vaccine specifically designed for the Bundibugyo variant.
The outbreak has already raised international concern, with the World Health Organization classifying the situation as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
Public health experts warn that mistrust of medical authorities, misinformation, and insecurity in conflict-affected regions continue to complicate containment efforts. Armed groups remain active in parts of Ituri Province, limiting access for humanitarian workers and increasing risks for frontline medical teams.
Following the attack, Congolese security forces reportedly increased protection around the hospital and deployed escorts for Ebola response teams operating in the region.
