The Congolese government has prohibited mass gatherings in Kinshasa and three other provinces to curb the spread of Ebola, just days before a planned opposition protest against President Félix Tshisekedi on Wednesday 8 July. The measure comes as the country grapples with its 17th Ebola epidemic, which has claimed 360 lives out of 1,274 recorded cases since being declared on 15 May. While the northeastern provinces remain the hardest hit, no transmissions have been reported in the capital, home to over 17 million people.
Interior Minister Jacquemain Shabani revealed the ban in a letter dated Saturday 27 June, instructing local authorities to forbid “mass gatherings” to “prevent any contamination from the Ebola virus epidemic.” The text does not specify whether the opposition demonstration is directly targeted.
Ban imposed amid rising political tensions
The prohibition arrives as political tensions escalate over a bill that would govern a referendum on constitutional revision. The opposition warns the reform could allow President Tshisekedi, in power since 2019, to seek a third term—currently forbidden by the two-term limit. Adopted in mid-June by a parliament dominated by the presidential majority, the text now awaits possible promulgation by the head of state.
On 12 June, a previous opposition rally denouncing a “constitutional coup” was violently dispersed in Kinshasa. Clashes between protesters, pro-government activists, and security forces left several injured; the United Nations reported the death of at least one demonstrator.
Despite the restrictions, the opposition maintains its call to march on 8 July to demand Tshisekedi’s resignation. On Monday, Minister Shabani labeled the call an “act of high treason.”
