Rioters Burn Ebola Isolation Tents in DRC as Fear and Mistrust Grow

Rioters have set fire to hospital tents used to isolate Ebola patients in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, worsening tensions around the country’s latest Ebola outbreak.

The violence broke out at Rwampara Hospital in Ituri province, the epicentre of the outbreak. During unrest on Thursday, isolation tents were torched before soldiers moved in to restore order. Only the burnt remains of the structures were left standing.

Hospital officials said the disturbance began after the death of a 24-year-old man believed to be the son of a soldier. Authorities refused to hand over the body for burial because Ebola can spread through bodily fluids and extended physical contact.

The current outbreak is linked to the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there is no approved vaccine or treatment. The World Health Organization believes the outbreak may have already killed more than 177 people.

Health teams are relying on rapid contact tracing, isolation and strict protective measures to contain the disease. However, traditional burial practices in rural areas have complicated containment efforts, with some families continuing to physically handle bodies despite warnings.

After the riot, families gathered anxiously outside the hospital while waiting for burials of three people suspected to have died from Ebola. Some residents questioned whether the disease was real, while others protested the refusal to

release bodies. Soldiers eventually dispersed the crowd after firing warning shots.

A nurse was reportedly injured when stones were thrown during the unrest. Inside the hospital compound, healthcare workers in full protective suits prepared the bodies for burial and transported them in three black-and-white coffins under military escort to Rwampara cemetery.

Security forces in the DRC have previously faced accusations during Ebola outbreaks of deepening distrust between communities and medical teams. Hospital sources said some of the rioters involved on Thursday may have been soldiers connected to one of the victims.

As burial teams worked into the evening, residents continued to call for stronger government support and raised concerns that medical facilities remain dangerously under-equipped. Officials in the nearby town of Mongbwalu said awareness has improved, but they warned that suspected cases are still mixed with other patients in hospital wards, increasing the risk of infection.