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DR Congo Bans Mass Gatherings in Kinshasa and Three Provinces
The Democratic Republic of Congo government banned mass gatherings in Kinshasa, Tshopo, Haut-Uele and Bas-Uele provinces on 27 June 2026. The order followed a daily increase of 47 confirmed cases, bringing national totals to 1,274 infections and 360 deaths. Opposition figures described the measure as politically motivated ahead of a planned protest.
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The Democratic Republic of Congo government banned mass gatherings in Kinshasa and the provinces of Tshopo, Haut-Uele and Bas-Uele on 27 June 2026. Interior Minister Jacquemain Shabani issued the directive after confirmed cases across affected provinces rose by 47 in a single day, bringing the national total to 1,274 infections and 360 deaths.
Ituri province accounts for more than 90 percent of recorded infections.
Mass gatherings had already been prohibited in Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu for several weeks. The government ordered a 21-day quarantine for travellers moving from affected areas to other parts of the country. BBC Africa reported that a doctor who tested positive for Ebola in France had passed through Kinshasa after working at a treatment centre in one of the outbreak zones.
Uganda recorded 20 confirmed cases and two deaths linked to the same outbreak, BBC Africa reported. The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo species of the virus, for which no vaccine exists. The disease spreads through contact with infected bodily fluids.
The head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said on Monday that trials for new antiviral drugs could begin as soon as this week. The World Health Organization stated that conflict in eastern DR Congo is complicating containment efforts. The M23 rebel group controls large parts of North and South Kivu.
Opposition parties criticised the ban, alleging it is intended to block a protest march scheduled for 8 July against a proposed law that could allow the president to remain in office beyond the two-term limit. Prince Epenge, spokesperson for the Lamuka coalition, stated on 29 June 2026 that the decision was not legitimate. "It is not legitimate.
We cannot accept this decision," he said. Rodrigue Ramazani, secretary-general of the Envol party, urged supporters to ignore the order and attend the march. The outbreak was spreading for weeks before it was identified as Ebola, according to Africa CDC and U.S.
