The AFC/M23 rebel alliance says it will bring in new movement limits in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo after two Ebola cases were detected in territory it controls.
Starting Saturday, shared taxis on the Goma to Kirumba road will be suspended for one month, according to a statement released late Wednesday. Passenger pirogues on parts of Lake Edward will also be paused. Taxi-buses on the Goma-Kirumba route and trucks carrying goods will still run, but only with health and safety checks in place.
The restrictions came after two travelers from Lubero, a town held by the Congolese government, tested positive for Ebola in a village under M23 control. A member of the rebel-run response team confirmed the cases to Reuters.
The move highlights how difficult it has become to contain what health officials call the fastest-spreading Ebola outbreak on record, while fighting continues between Congo’s army and the Rwanda-backed rebels.
M23 has controlled large parts of North and South Kivu since its early 2025 offensive, including the major cities of Goma and Bukavu. The UN and Western governments accuse Rwanda of backing the group, which Kigali denies.
The rebels have used the outbreak to showcase their own administration, running a response separate from Kinshasa. They declared areas under their control Ebola-free in late June.
Government data released this week shows confirmed Ebola cases in Congo have now passed 5,000.
