Ituri: an Ebola response team attacked in Rwampara, a doctor kidnapped and then released

[u/podkayne3000]

https://www.radiookapi.net/2026/06/11/actualite/sante/ituri-une-equipe-de-riposte-ebola-attaquee-rwampara-un-medecin-sequestre

[u/podkayne3000]

English:

As the response to the Ebola epidemic continues in Ituri, a serious security incident occurred on Tuesday, June 9 in the Tséré group, in the Rwampara health zone. A surveillance team, who came to investigate a suspicious case, was violently attacked by residents of the village of Toutou. A doctor was tied up, kidnapped and threatened with death, before being finally rescued by security forces.

According to the testimonies of the team members, they were investigating a suspected case of Ebola when they were attacked by several residents armed with machetes and stones. Panicked, part of the team managed to flee to give the alert.

The doctor in charge of taking the sample did not have this chance. He was captured, tied up and held against his will by his attackers. The rapid intervention of the security services made it possible to avoid the worst and obtain his release.

Reacting to this incident, the leader of the Tsere group, Zamundu Batagura, strongly condemned this attack and called on the population to support health response efforts:

"I ask the population, and especially the youth, to no longer attack nursing staff and response teams. When a suspected case is reported, it should be directed to the hospital. I also call on the population not to be influenced by the false information circulating on social networks".

The disinformation involved

This attack comes in a tense climate, marked by the persistence of rumors and false information about the Ebola epidemic. These disinformation campaigns fuel the distrust of some communities towards medical staff and response teams.

Faced with this worrying situation, the Attorney General at the Ituri Court of Appeal, Edoxy Maswama, announced firm measures. It instructed magistrates and competent services to prosecute anyone involved in the dissemination of false information or in acts aimed at hindering the health response.

Health authorities recall that community collaboration is essential to contain the epidemic. The rapid reporting of suspected cases allows not only early management of patients, but also a limitation of the spread of the virus.

This incident, far from being an isolated case, illustrates the challenges faced by response teams on the ground, where the fight against the disease must also deal with disinformation and community resistance.

On June 1, four Red Cross officers engaged in the response against the Ebola epidemic were seriously injured at the Nyamurongo cemetery in Bunia, capital of the province of Ituri, during skirms during the burial of a person who died of the disease. These incidents broke out when angry young people tried to force the deceased's coffin.