M23 Rebels impose Ebola travel restrictions near Goma

The AFC/M23 rebel alliance in the Democratic Republic of Congo has imposed movement restrictions around government-held areas amid the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak, suspending shared taxis on the Goma-Kirumba route and halting passenger boats on certain Lake Edward routes, while allowing trucks and road taxis under health controls. The measures follow two travellers from Lubero testing positive for Ebola in a village under rebel control, highlighting the challenges of containing the outbreak in a country divided by conflict. The rebels, who administer health responses in areas they control, claim Kinshasa plans to infiltrate infected people, a charge met with accusations of corruption by the government; the situation underscores tensions between authorities and rebel groups in outbreak management. Separately, Madagascar announced temporary entry suspensions for foreigners who have been in affected countries and imposed a 21-day quarantine for travelers from those areas to prevent Ebola importation. Health officials have warned that ongoing movement restrictions and fragmented governance complicate efforts to slow transmission in eastern Congo, where the outbreak has grown large by cases and deaths. The convergence of health, security, and governance in these measures illustrates how conflict zones complicate public health responses to Ebola.