Drc bans gatherings over ebola ahead of opposition protest against tshisekedi

The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has outlawed mass gatherings in Kinshasa and three additional provinces to curb the spread of the ongoing Ebola outbreak. This measure, detailed in a letter from Interior Minister Jacquemain Shabani, comes one week before a planned opposition demonstration on Wednesday, 8 July, against President Félix Tshisekedi.

Declared on 15 May, the country’s 17th Ebola epidemic has so far caused 360 deaths out of 1,274 recorded cases. While the hardest-hit areas remain the four northeastern provinces, no transmission has been reported in Kinshasa, a sprawling metropolis of over 17 million residents.

Dated Saturday, 27 June, the minister’s directive instructs local authorities to prohibit “mass gatherings” to “prevent any contamination by the Ebola virus”. The document does not explicitly state whether the opposition’s planned rally is the target of the ban.

A decision amid rising political tensions

The restriction arrives as political tensions escalate around a proposed law that would pave the way for a constitutional referendum. The opposition argues that the reform could allow President Tshisekedi, in power since 2019, to seek a third term, even though the current constitution limits the head of state to two mandates.

Passed in mid-June by a parliament dominated by the presidential majority, the text now awaits possible promulgation by the president.

On 12 June, a previous opposition rally denouncing a “constitutional coup” was violently dispersed in Kinshasa. Clashes between protesters, pro-government supporters, and security forces left several injured. The United Nations also reported the death of “at least one demonstrator”.

Despite the announced restrictions, the opposition maintains its call for the 8 July march demanding Tshisekedi’s resignation. On Monday, Minister Shabani described the call as “an act of high treason”.