'Some Congolese believe Westerners created this disease': In the DRC, communities mistrust medical workers responding to the Ebola virus epidemic
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, communities are expressing deep mistrust towards medical workers responding to the Ebola virus outbreak. This mistrust has led to confrontations, as seen in a recent incident where a crowd prevented caregivers from handling a coffin. The outbreak, declared on May 15, has reportedly claimed around 220 lives so far.
- ▪The Ebola virus outbreak was officially declared on May 15, 2026.
- ▪A video showed a crowd confronting medical workers attempting to load a coffin.
- ▪Approximately 220 people are believed to have died from the outbreak in the DRC and Uganda.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
The Ebola virus treatment center in flames at the Rwampara General Hospital, Democratic Republic of the Congo, May 21, 2026. GRADEL MUYISA MUMBERE/REUTERS The crowd's anger erupts, escalating to the point where some people physically confront the four men in blue gowns, masks and surgical gloves to prevent them from loading a coffin into their vehicle. This scene, filmed in Kyondo in North Kivu province in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and provided to Le Monde by a humanitarian source, illustrates the deep mistrust facing those leading the fight against the Ebola hemorrhagic fever outbreak, which was officially declared by the authorities on May 15. In the final seconds of this one-minute video, a member of the crowd surrounding the caregivers rips off the coffin's lid.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Le Monde (EN).
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