The Democratic Republic of Congo has imposed a sweeping ban on mass gatherings after a sudden spike in Ebola cases near the city of Goma. As of this morning, the World Health Organisation confirms at least 23 new infections over the past 72 hours, a terrifying acceleration that has the international community scrambling. The order, issued overnight by the Ministry of Health, prohibits public events including religious services, markets, and political rallies in affected zones.
Sources on the ground say the move comes too late. The virus has already slipped across porous borders into Rwanda, where two suspected cases are being monitored. British aid agencies, led by the UK's rapid response team from the Department for International Development, are deploying medics and mobile labs to the epicentre.
But questions are mounting: why was this clampdown delayed for three weeks after the first resurgence was detected? Documents obtained by this journalist show that the Congolese government was warned multiple times by international health advisers. Internal memos from the WHO's regional office in Brazzaville, dated 22 March, explicitly recommend early restrictions.
Instead, officials prioritised political rallies ahead of the upcoming elections. The result is a crisis that is now spilling into neighbouring states. British taxpayers have poured £150 million into Ebola preparedness since the last outbreak in 2018.
Much of that money has gone to training local health workers and stockpiling vaccines. Yet here we are again. The pattern is sickening: a flare-up, a denial, a scramble, a body count.
The UK's International Development Secretary will face Parliament tomorrow to explain why our teams are once again being sent into a fire that could have been extinguished with a bucket of water. Meanwhile, the people of Goma are fleeing. They remember 2018, when the virus killed over 2,200.
They don't need promises. They need a containment that works.
