Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) AFC/M23 rebels have used a small Ebola outbreak in territory they control to showcase their ability to govern, mounting a response largely separate from authorities in Kinshasa and supported in part by neighbouring Rwanda, according to response teams and official documents.
The response has highlighted how the rebels have extended parallel administrative structures into areas captured during a lightning advance last year.
Analysts, however, say the war-torn country’s fragmented response could complicate containment efforts should the outbreak spread further.
Reuters reviewed documents from Congo’s Health Ministry and spoke to eight sources involved in the Ebola response in rebel-held areas, including one AFC/M23 official, two members of the technical coordination committee for the response and five aid workers, most of whom spoke on condition of anonymity because they feared being seen as legitimising the rebel group or jeopardising their access.
AFC/M23 controls large parts of North and South Kivu provinces following its early 2025 advance, during which it captured Goma and Bukavu, eastern Congo’s two largest cities.
The United Nations and Western governments say the group is backed by Rwanda, which Kigali denies.
–Reuters–
