DRC: Government strengthens administrative and security support for the Ebola response

Kinshasa, August 25^th, 2026 (CPA).- The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has mobilized the governors of the provinces affected by the Ebola virus disease to strengthen administrative and security support for the response, according to a statement from the Ministry in charge of the Interior received on Tuesday by CPA. “In view of the on-going Ebola virus epidemic, the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of the Interior, Security, Decentralization and Customary Affairs, Jacquemain Shabani, has chaired, on Monday, August 24^th, 2026, a hybrid meeting—held both in person and via videoconference—dedicated to strengthening administrative and security support for the response to the Ebola epidemic in the provinces of Bas-Uele, Haut-Uele, Ituri, Nord-Kivu, Sud-Kivu and Tshopo”, it is read. The meeting has brought together, in particular, the Deputy Minister in charge of the Interior, Eugenie Tshela, the governors of the provinces concerned, the representative of the Ministry in charge of Health, Steve Ahuka, as well as officials from the security services, civil protection and territorial administration. “The governors have presented the situation in their respective provinces and highlighted several constraints in implementing the response, notably logistical needs, insufficient financial resources allocated to the services responsible for public order and, in some cases, a lack of infrastructure suitable for healthcare provision,” the document has indicated. The deputy Prime Minister Shabani has instructed the governors to mobilize the administrations, the territorial authorities, the security services and the community at large in order to facilitate access for healthcare teams to communities and to remove administrative, logistical and community-related obstacles. He has also asked them to ensure the effective implementation of decisions taken by the central government and measures adopted by the provincial authorities, whilst strengthening the mobilization around the guidelines for coordinating the response. On the security front, he has urged the Congolese National Police and other security services to reinforce the protection of the population, healthcare teams, healthcare facilities, ambulances, supplies and key transport routes, whilst respecting human rights. Through this mobilization, the Ministry in charge of the Interior has reaffirmed its commitment to support the Ministry in charge of Health in order to create the administrative, community and security conditions necessary for an effective response to Ebola. ACP/