An armed group attacked a hospital in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday, abducting a six-year-old Ebola patient and prompting a security alert from UK aid teams operating in the region. The assault occurred at a treatment centre run by Médecins Sans Frontières in the city of Butembo, North Kivu province. The child had been receiving treatment for the Ebola virus, which continues to circulate in parts of the country despite a major outbreak declared over in 2020.
The attackers killed a security guard and made off with the patient, whose condition remains unknown. The UK government has confirmed that British aid workers in the region have been instructed to shelter in place and restrict movement. A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said: “This is a highly concerning development.
Our teams are taking all necessary precautions.” The abduction threatens to destabilise fragile public health efforts in an area already scarred by years of armed conflict. Local health officials expressed fears that the incident could deter patients from seeking treatment and hamper containment of the virus.
The DRC’s health ministry and MONUSCO, the UN peacekeeping force, have launched a search operation. Western diplomats have urged the government to ensure the child’s safe return and to hold the perpetrators accountable.
