At least 14 people killed in violence in the Ebola zone of eastern Congo

KINSHASA (Reuters) – Unidentified gunmen killed at least 14 people, including two health workers, on Saturday in a region of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, victim of the violence of the militias The authorities have obstructed efforts to contain the Ebola epidemic,

The latest epidemic of This deadly disease in the Congo killed 152 people, mainly in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri, the epicenter of armed rebellion and ethnic murder wars in the late 1990s.

The number of cases has accelerated over the last two weeks and an emergency committee bringing together experts from the World Health Organization announced Wednesday that the epidemic was likely to be over. 39, aggravate significantly unless there is ness the response. Eleven civilians and one soldier were killed in the city of Beni, where dozens of people contracted the virus, Rwoyan district mayor Alloys Mbwarara told Reuters. on Sunday.

In Butembo town, 50 km south of Beni, two militiamen were killed by militiamen, Health Minister Oly Ilunga said on Saturday.

"It's a sad day for all the intervention teams who sometimes put their lives at risk while serving the country. Health workers should not be targeted by armed groups, "he said.

It is difficult to know who perpetrated the attacks. The Allied Democratic Forces, a Ugandan Islamist group active in eastern Congo, have clashed with Congolese troops in Beni in recent weeks. Mai Mai militias, including a number of armed gangs originally formed to resist Rwandan invasions in the 1990s, are also present in the region. and vaccination programs in recent weeks.

Following the killings on Saturday, demonstrations erupted on Sunday morning in Beni, said Safari Mambueni, commander of the city police.

The Department of Health said that in Butembo, a group of 22 men had dug up the body of an Ebola victim to make sure the organs had been removed from the body. the corpse. in contact with the body fluids of the victim. They all agreed to be vaccinated Sunday, the ministry said.

(Report by Giulia Paravicini, Additional report by Stanys Bujakera and Fiston Mahamba, edited by Edward McAllister and David Goodman)

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