Arson at Ebola center highlights burial-rule tensions in Congo
Anger over strict Ebola burial rules led residents in Rwampara, Congo, to burn a treatment center as health workers enforce safe practices amid a growing outbreak in Ituri and North Kivu. Authorities say bodies must be buried according to regulations, not taken home for funerals. The outbreak has 160 suspected deaths and 671 suspected cases in two provinces, with the WHO warning of regional risk and vaccines not yet available for the Bundibugyo strain. Displacement, violence, and weak health infrastructure complicate containment and international responses include travel restrictions and aid coordination.