The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a warning that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo may be spreading faster than initially anticipated. At least 131 people have died so far, and more than 513 suspected cases have been reported as of last Tuesday. A WHO representative, Dr. Ann Ancia, said investigations show the virus has reached new areas, while a death has also been confirmed in neighboring Uganda.

A mathematical model from the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis in London suggests that many infections remain undetected, possibly pushing the real number of cases beyond one thousand. The Red Cross cautioned that without rapid identification of patients and improved public awareness, the situation could quickly spiral out of control. Following an emergency meeting, Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi urged citizens to remain calm and vigilant.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed deep concern over the outbreak’s scale and speed. The strain currently spreading has no effective vaccine, though WHO is assessing whether other treatments might offer protection.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The outbreak, centered in the eastern Ituri province, has so far resulted in about 246 suspected infections and 80 deaths. WHO reported that the virus, identified as the Bundibugyo strain, has no approved treatment or vaccine. Eight cases have been confirmed in laboratories, and infections have spread to Bunia, Mongwalu, Rwampara, and even the capital Kinshasa. Two confirmed cases have also been detected in neighboring Uganda.

WHO warned that the outbreak could expand rapidly due to population movement, urban transmission, and limited healthcare infrastructure. The organization advised DR Congo and Uganda to establish emergency operations centers to track and isolate cases. Neighboring Rwanda has tightened border health checks, while the U.S. CDC plans to deploy more staff and has issued travel warnings for Ituri province.

WHO urged countries not to impose travel or trade restrictions, emphasizing that such measures lack scientific justification. The agency noted uncertainty about the full extent of infections and geographic spread.

An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has killed more than 80 people, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare it an international public health emergency. According to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 88 deaths and 336 suspected infections have been reported so far. The WHO said the outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola and has been classified under the second-highest alert level, though it has not yet been declared a pandemic emergency.

Health authorities confirmed the outbreak in Ituri province near the borders with Uganda and South Sudan. The first identified patient was a nurse who showed Ebola-like symptoms on April 24 in Bunia, the provincial capital. The Congolese health minister stated that there is no vaccine or specific treatment for this strain, and the fatality rate could reach 50 percent. Medical charity Doctors Without Borders described the situation as extremely concerning and is preparing a large-scale emergency response.

The WHO warned that the true number of infections and the geographic spread remain uncertain, raising fears that the situation could be more severe than currently known.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has caused several dozen deaths, as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). The announcement was made from Geneva, where the organization confirmed that the outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus affecting both Congo and Uganda. However, WHO clarified that the situation has not yet met the criteria to be classified as a pandemic.

According to the WHO statement, the decision reflects the seriousness of the outbreak and the need for coordinated international response, but it does not yet indicate a global health crisis. The organization emphasized that while the spread is concerning, current data do not justify declaring a pandemic-level emergency.

The declaration is expected to mobilize additional resources and international support to contain the virus and prevent further cross-border transmission, particularly between Congo and Uganda.

At least 69 people were killed in a militia attack in the northeastern Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to local and security sources on Saturday. The assault, carried out on April 28 by armed members linked to the Cooperative for the Development of Congo (CODECO), targeted several villages. The victims included civilians, militia members, and soldiers. The attack delayed recovery of bodies for several days due to the continued presence of CODECO fighters.

The Ituri province, rich in gold and other minerals, has long been the scene of violent clashes between the Hema and Lendu ethnic groups. Another armed group, the Convention for the Popular Revolution (CRP), had earlier attacked army positions near Pimbo, claiming to defend the Hema community. The United Nations peacekeeping mission MONUSCO condemned the recent deadly assaults on civilians and reported rescuing 200 people trapped during the CRP attack.

Humanitarian agencies report that nearly one million internally displaced people in the province face severe humanitarian crises as violence involving CODECO, CRP, and other armed groups continues to destabilize the region.

At least six people were killed on Tuesday when a tunnel collapsed at the Rubaya coltan mine in the rebel-controlled eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to eyewitnesses cited by AFP from Goma. The incident occurred about 70 kilometers west of Goma in North Kivu province, killing three women and three men and injuring several others.

Witnesses reported that authorities had ordered evacuations following the collapse, and bodies were seen being carried away on stretchers. Many relatives rushed to the site in search of missing workers. The Rubaya mine, one of the largest coltan sources in the country, employs thousands of miners who work in hazardous conditions with minimal equipment.

The mine, which supplies an estimated 15 to 30 percent of global coltan production, has been under the control of M23 rebels since April 2024. This was the second deadly collapse in Rubaya in recent weeks, following a landslide late last month that the government feared had killed at least 200 people.

A devastating landslide has struck a militia-controlled mine in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, with government sources warning that at least 200 people may have died. The incident occurred on Sunday, according to an official statement released by the Congolese government.

Reports from Kinshasa, citing AFP, indicate that the M23 armed group, which re-emerged in 2021, has seized large parts of the mineral-rich eastern territories of the country. Backed by Rwanda, M23 took control of the Rubaya mine in North Kivu province in April 2024, the site where the latest tragedy unfolded.

Authorities have not yet provided details on rescue operations or the exact cause of the landslide, but the scale of the disaster has raised concerns about safety conditions in conflict-affected mining zones.

More than 200 people were killed when a coltan mine collapsed in Rubaya, eastern Congo’s North Kivu province. The mine, located about 60 kilometers northwest of the provincial capital Goma, caved in on Wednesday. Reuters reported that the exact number of casualties has not yet been confirmed.

Lumumba Kambere Muisa, spokesperson for the M23 rebel-appointed governor of North Kivu, said some people were rescued in time after the collapse, while others were seriously injured. Around 20 injured individuals are receiving treatment at a local health center. Iraston Bahati Musanga, the M23-appointed governor, told AFP on Friday that several bodies had been recovered but did not specify the total number of victims.

A provincial adviser, speaking anonymously to Reuters, estimated the death toll at over 200. Miner Frank Bolingo said many people were still believed to be trapped inside the mine, indicating that rescue operations were continuing.

Hundreds of civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are living with amputations after renewed clashes between government forces and M23 rebels. The violence, concentrated around the mineral-rich North Kivu province, has intensified since M23—allegedly backed by Rwanda—captured Goma and Bukavu earlier this year. Survivors like 25-year-old David Muhire, who lost limbs in a landmine explosion, symbolize the growing humanitarian toll of the conflict.

According to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), more than 800 people injured by weapons, mines, and unexploded ordnance have received treatment in 2025, with over 400 currently rehabilitating at Goma’s Shirika la Umoja center. Despite a U.S.-brokered peace deal signed in Washington on December 4 between Rwanda and the DRC, fighting resumed within days as M23 launched new offensives near the Burundian border.

Aid agencies warn that prolonged warfare is worsening the humanitarian crisis, leaving thousands disabled and dependent on limited medical and prosthetic support. The ICRC continues to call for sustained peace and protection for civilians in the region.

At least 30 people, including patients, were killed when Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels attacked a health center and several villages in the Lubero region of North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of Congo. Local officials reported that 23 bodies were recovered from the Baimbwe health center, among them 11 women. The attackers also burned down parts of the health facility and several nearby houses. Colonel Alain Kiwewa, the local administrator, condemned the assault as a crime against humanity and urged residents to support joint military operations by Congolese and Ugandan forces aimed at eliminating the ADF. The group, which has links to ISIS, has been active in eastern Congo for years. A similar attack in October in the same region left around 20 people dead. Since 2021, Congo and Uganda have been conducting joint operations against the ADF, which continues to target civilians despite ongoing military efforts.

At least 32 people were killed when a temporary bridge collapsed at a copper and cobalt mine in the Lualaba province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The incident occurred at the Kalando mine, where workers reportedly ignored a ban on entry due to heavy rains and landslide risks. The collapse happened as a large group of miners rushed across the makeshift bridge, which gave way under their weight. Conflicting reports suggest the death toll may exceed 40. Witnesses said panic erupted after gunfire was heard, allegedly from soldiers at the site. The mine has long been a source of tension between informal miners, a local cooperative, and the legal operators. Authorities have suspended all operations at the site, while human rights groups have called for an independent investigation into the army’s alleged involvement. The provincial government has yet to release a final casualty figure.

At least 193 people have died following two separate boat sinkings in the northwest of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and several others are missing, authorities reported. The incidents occurred on Wednesday and Thursday roughly 150 km apart in Équateur province.

Officials said a wooden passenger boat overturned after catching fire near the village of Malange, close to Lukolela, on Thursday evening; that accident killed 107 people and rescued 209 others, with 146 still reported missing. A day earlier, a motorized boat capsized in the Basankusu area, killing at least 86 people, most of them students.

At least 148 people have died and many remain missing after a fire engulfed a passenger boat on the Congo River. According to Josephine-Pacifique Lokumu, head of a local delegation, the boat—constructed from wood—was carrying several hundred passengers. The fire is believed to have been started by cooking activities on board. Some passengers have been rescued, but search and recovery operations are still ongoing.

At least 25 people have died, and several others remain missing after a boat capsized in the Kwo River near Mai-Ndombe province in western Congo. The vessel was carrying football players from Nagambomi village, returning from a match in Mushie town. The boat sank 12 kilometers after leaving Mushie port late at night. While 30 survivors have been rescued, authorities fear that the death toll may rise as rescue operations continue.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, clashes with the M23 rebel group have claimed the lives of 13 UN peacekeepers, including nine South Africans, three Malawians, and one Uruguayan. The soldiers were killed while countering the rebels’ advance in Goma, a city of over one million people. French President Emmanuel Macron has urged for peace and engaged in talks with the leaders of Congo and Rwanda. The UN is evacuating non-essential personnel as the M23 rebels call for Congolese soldiers’ surrender to prevent further bloodshed.