Congo ruling-party official dies after attack following Ebola radio appeal

Marie-Celestin Karondwa, a senior member of Congo’s ruling UDPS party, was beaten to death after appearing on a radio programme to promote Ebola prevention measures, the party said on Monday. The incident occurred on Sunday in Butembo, North Kivu province, an area recently identified in the source material as a hotspot in the ongoing Ebola outbreak. The UDPS federation in Butembo said Karondwa was attacked by residents of his neighbourhood after the broadcast.

According to the party, the attackers beat Karondwa, looted his belongings and set his house on fire. He later died from his injuries. The party described him as an innocent victim of defending its position on the existence of Ebola and the threat posed by the disease.

The source did not establish who carried out the attack, how many people were involved or what specifically motivated it. The mayor of Butembo did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The killing comes amid what the report described as a series of attacks on Ebola response teams, highlighting persistent mistrust among local communities.

On Saturday, armed men attacked a handwashing checkpoint in nearby Beni territory, according to a local civil society group. That attack reportedly killed at least one person and wounded several others. The report did not identify the victims or provide further details about the attackers.

The Ebola outbreak was declared on May 15. Government data released on Monday put the number of infections at 8,067 and deaths at 3,901. Karondwa’s death underscores the security challenges facing public-health messaging and response activities in the affected area.

The supplied account does not say whether anyone had been arrested or whether authorities had announced an investigation into either attack.