Health authorities have confirmed the first Ebola case in South Kivu province in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, with the infection recorded in a territory currently controlled by the Rwanda-backed M23 militia.
The confirmation was disclosed on Thursday by a spokesman for the armed group, as concerns continue to grow over the spread of the deadly haemorrhagic disease in conflict-ridden eastern Congo.
The latest outbreak has added pressure to an already fragile region where years of fighting between the Congolese military and the M23 rebels have complicated healthcare operations and emergency responses. The World Health Organization had earlier declared the Ebola outbreak an international emergency.
Since taking control of large parts of the mineral-rich eastern region with support from Rwanda, the M23 has established its own governing structures in areas under its influence, operating alongside a parallel administration separate from the Congolese government.
However, the rebel group is now facing the challenge of handling a major public health crisis for the first time. Ebola has claimed more than 15,000 lives across Africa over the past 50 years.
According to the M23 spokesman, tests “confirm a new positive case” from Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province, which came under M23 control in February 2025. He added that the patient was a “person coming from Kisangani”, a major city in Tshopo province in eastern Congo, where no cases linked to the current outbreak had previously been reported.