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🇨🇩 DR Congo /Conflict & Security

Beni youth condemn attack on Ebola response team

From Radio Okapi · () French

Translated from French, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • The youth of Beni, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, condemned an attack on an Ebola response team.
  • The attack occurred in the Mabolio neighborhood as the team responded to a suspected case, resulting in injuries.
  • Youth leaders urged residents to support response teams and combat misinformation to curb the epidemic's spread.

The youth of Beni, a city in North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, have strongly condemned an assault on an Ebola response team. The incident occurred on Friday in the Mabolio neighborhood as the health workers were en route to investigate a suspected case of the virus.

We must avoid any intoxication and disinformation about the Ebola virus disease.

— Mussa KarimPresident of the youth of Beni, speaking on June 19, 2026.

During the attack, members of the response team sustained injuries. Mussa Karim, the president of Beni's youth organization, issued a statement on Saturday, June 19, 2026, calling for an end to "intoxication and disinformation" surrounding the Ebola disease. He urged young people to mobilize in support of the response teams to help contain the epidemic in the region.

Karim emphasized the importance of collective action, drawing a parallel to the youth's support for security forces combating insecurity in Beni. "We must unite as one man to support the healthcare personnel," he stated, highlighting the community's past losses during the 10th and 13th Ebola outbreaks.

It is a behavior that we must really fight, because even though we have been victims of this disease in the 10th and 13th epidemics, we have lost our own here.

— Mussa KarimExplaining the need to combat violence against health workers.

He warned that such violence could increase the number of contact cases, confirmed cases, and deaths from Ebola in the city. Karim expressed concern that malicious actors might infiltrate the community to spread false information, thereby exacerbating the epidemic. "We have a duty to sensitize and educate our relatives," he added.

And for this umpteenth episode of the epidemic in our city, we must unite as one man to support the healthcare personnel.

— Mussa KarimCalling for community support for Ebola response teams.

A viral video reportedly shows young individuals armed with machetes assaulting Ebola response workers, including a woman seen being beaten. Local community members and online voices have called for a swift investigation by security services to apprehend those responsible and bring them to justice.

The enemy can infiltrate us to intoxicate us while communicating false information about this disease so that the disease can exterminate us.

— Mussa KarimWarning about the dangers of misinformation.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Radio Okapi in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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