HRF is alarmed by the ongoing spread of the deadly Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Millions of Congolese already contending with violent conflict, displacement, and state neglect are left with a fragile and underresourced healthcare system and distrust of the authorities. Civilians living in territories under brutal occupation by invading troops from neighboring Rwanda and their M23 proxy militia remain largely cut off from international humanitarian aid. In this context, HRF expresses concern that both the regime of Congolese ruler Félix Tshisekedi and M23 may prioritize political gain over the lives of Congolese citizens in responding to the health crisis.

More than 600 people have died and nearly 1,800 people have been infected since the May 15 detection of the Ebola outbreak originating in the northeastern Congolese province of Ituri, where the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus spread undetected spread for months. The epidemic deepened an already unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in a region that was already sheltering hundreds of thousands of people displaced by horrific violence from armed groups in the area.

The epicenter of the outbreak is a mineral-rich region under military rule taht has been in a state of siege for more than five years, where ordinary citizens toil in poverty extracting natural resources enriching a corrupt ruling elite. While Tshisekedi is seeking to extend his rule through constitutional manipulation, health workers have gone on strike to protest months of unpaid salaries. Meanwhile, public distrust of the authorities has fueled resistance to health protocols and even violent attacks against Ebola treatment centers.

The epidemic has reached eastern Congo’s largest cities of Goma and Bukavu, where civilians live under the brutal occupation and de facto administration of Rwanda’s proxy M23 militia and Rwandan troops. M23’s parallel administration — which draws technical and material medical assistance from Rwanda’s regime — is promoting its handling of the crisis to gain international recognition as a competent and legitimate authority. However, M23 has kept Goma’s airport, the main humanitarian aid point of entry in North Kivu, closed, raising concerns about the militia’s siphoning of Ebola funds.