Protesters Set Rwampara Ebola Treatment Unit on Fire in Ituri Province

A group of young men stormed and set fire to the Ebola Treatment Unit in Rwampara, Ituri Province, after authorities refused to release the body of a person believed to have died from Ebola — a standard safe-burial protocol preventing post-mortem transmission. The tents were completely destroyed in the fire, including the body of the deceased. Six patients who had been receiving treatment were transferred to the main Bunia hospital. WHO Director-General Tedros called the incident a 'security incident' that 'significantly jeopardized' response operations in the hotspot area. The attack highlighted community tensions over burial practices and deep-seated mistrust of response teams in conflict-affected Ituri.