The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has banned mass gatherings in Kinshasa and three other provinces to reduce the spread of the Ebola outbreak. This decision, revealed in a letter from Interior Minister Jacquemain Shabani, comes as the opposition plans a major protest on Wednesday, July 8 in the capital.
Declared on May 15, the country’s 17th Ebola epidemic has officially caused 360 deaths out of 1,274 recorded cases. While the four northeastern provinces remain the most affected, no transmission has been reported in Kinshasa, a megacity of over 17 million people.
In his letter dated Saturday, June 27, the minister asked local authorities to prohibit ‘mass gatherings’ to ‘avoid any contamination from the Ebola virus’. The text does not specify whether the opposition protest is directly targeted.
A decision amid high political tensions
This ban comes as the political climate has grown tense over a bill providing for a referendum on constitutional revision. The opposition believes the reform could allow President Félix Tshisekedi, in power since 2019, to run for a third term, while the constitution currently limits the president to two terms.
Adopted in mid-June by a parliament largely dominated by the presidential majority, the text now awaits possible promulgation by the head of state.
On June 12, a previous opposition rally denouncing a ‘constitutional coup’ was violently dispersed in Kinshasa. Clashes between demonstrators, pro-government activists and security forces left several injured. The United Nations reported the death of ‘at least one protester’.
Despite the announced restrictions, the opposition maintains its call to protest on July 8 to demand Tshisekedi’s resignation. On Monday, Jacquemain Shabani called this call an ‘act of high treason’.
