KINSHASA — The Democratic Republic of Congo has banned mass gatherings in the capital, Kinshasa, and three other provinces to prevent the spread of Ebola, Interior Minister Jacquemain Shabani announced on Saturday. The current outbreak has infected 1,274 people and killed 360, concentrated almost entirely in three eastern provinces—Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu—some 1,800 kilometres from the capital. No cases have been confirmed in Kinshasa. Opposition parties have criticised the order, alleging it has been imposed to stifle a protest march scheduled for 8 July against a proposed law that critics say could allow President Felix Tshisekedi to remain in power beyond his two-term limit. The government has not responded to the criticism.

The three other provinces affected by the ban—Tshopo, Haut-Uélé, and Bas-Uélé—border those where Ebola has been confirmed. Mass gatherings were already banned in the affected provinces. Uganda has also confirmed Ebola cases, with the World Health Organization reporting 20 known infections and two deaths there.

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What the Opposition Says

Prince Epenge, spokesperson for the Lamuka opposition coalition, told the BBC the government’s decision was “political” because no cases have been confirmed in Kinshasa. “It is not legitimate. We cannot accept this decision,” he said.

Rodrigue Ramazani, secretary-general of the opposition Envol party, urged protesters to ignore the ban, saying the directive “reeks of a political manoeuvre rather than a public health measure.”

The demonstration was organised by the C64 coalition, an alliance formed to oppose a proposed law that critics say could enable Tshisekedi to extend his time in office beyond constitutional limits. The government has not provided detailed epidemiological modelling to support the extension of the ban to the capital.

According to DR Congo interior ministry directive on mass gatherings and opposition party statements, the ban was issued by the interior minister rather than the health ministry, which has contributed to the opposition’s suspicion about its motivation.

As our coverage of the political dimensions of epidemic response and public health governance has tracked, the use of public health orders to restrict political activity is a recurring concern in countries where democratic institutions are contested.

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The Outbreak Situation

The Ebola outbreak is driven by the Bundibugyo species of the virus, for which there is currently no approved vaccine. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention told the BBC’s Newsday programme on Monday that trials for new antiviral drugs could begin as soon as this week.

Saturday alone saw confirmed cases jump by 47 across the affected provinces. Ituri accounts for more than 90% of infections. The WHO has warned that conflict in eastern DR Congo, where the M23 rebel group controls large parts of both North and South Kivu, is making the outbreak harder to contain.

A doctor who tested positive for Ebola in France passed through Kinshasa after working at an Ebola treatment centre in the outbreak zone. The day after his test was made public, the Congolese government ordered a 21-day quarantine for travellers going from Ebola-affected areas to other parts of the country.

According to WHO Ebola outbreak situation reports and Africa CDC statements on antiviral drug trials and case data, both US public health authorities and Africa CDC have warned that the current outbreak has the potential to be one of the largest ever, because it was spreading for weeks before it was confirmed to be Ebola.

As our analysis of Ebola outbreaks and the challenge of containment in conflict zones has documented, contact tracing—the foundation of Ebola control—requires security and community trust that are difficult to maintain in areas where armed groups operate and where the population distrusts the government.

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The Political Context

The C64 coalition protest was scheduled to oppose a proposed constitutional change that critics say could allow Tshisekedi to seek a third term. The ban on mass gatherings, issued days before the planned demonstration, has placed the government’s public health rationale under intense scrutiny.

The WHO has not publicly called for a mass gathering ban in Kinshasa. The Africa CDC has not publicly called for one. The epidemiological risk to the capital is not zero—the transit of the infected doctor through Kinshasa demonstrates the possibility of importation—but the government has not explained why the existing 21-day traveller quarantine was insufficient to manage that risk.

The disease spreads through contact with infected bodily fluids and is not airborne, which makes outdoor gatherings less risky for transmission than indoor settings. The government has not addressed this distinction in its public statements.

Opposition parties have argued that if the ban were purely a public health measure, it would have been issued by the health ministry with accompanying epidemiological evidence. The interior ministry’s role in issuing the directive has deepened the opposition’s scepticism.

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FAQ

Are there Ebola cases in Kinshasa?

No confirmed cases. The outbreak is concentrated in Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu provinces in eastern DR Congo, approximately 1,800 kilometres from the capital. A doctor who tested positive in France did pass through Kinshasa after working in the outbreak zone.

Why did the government ban gatherings in the capital?

The government says the ban is to prevent Ebola from spreading to Kinshasa, a city of 18 million people. The opposition says it is designed to stop a planned protest against proposed constitutional changes.

Is there a vaccine for this Ebola outbreak?

No. The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo species of the virus, for which no approved vaccine exists. Africa CDC says trials for new antiviral drugs could begin as soon as this week.

How many people have been infected?

As of Saturday, 1,274 confirmed cases and 360 deaths across the affected provinces. Uganda has confirmed 20 cases and two deaths.

What is the C64 coalition?

An opposition alliance formed to oppose a proposed law that critics say could allow President Felix Tshisekedi to remain in power beyond his two-term limit. The coalition organised the 8 July protest that the government’s ban may prevent.