Debate over constitutional reform is gathering momentum in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with both political figures and senior Catholic clergy arguing that the country's legal framework should reflect today's political and social realities. Priests from the Archdiocese of Kananga have expressed support for the possibility of a lawful constitutional revision, stressing that any reform must follow democratic procedures and serve the national interest rather than partisan objectives. At the same time, political leaders have argued that the current Constitution, adopted in 2006, no longer adequately addresses the country's evolving governance challenges, security threats and development priorities. The discussion remains politically sensitive. President Félix Tshisekedi has previously suggested that parts of the Constitution may require updating, while opposition parties have warned against reforms they believe could alter the political balance ahead of future elections. Supporters insist that any revision must emerge through a broad national consensus and remain consistent with democratic principles.

DR Congo assumes rotating presidency of the UN Security Council

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has assumed the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council for one month, placing Kinshasa at the centre of international discussions on global peace and security. The presidency gives the DRC responsibility for setting the Council's agenda, chairing meetings and facilitating negotiations among its members. Although the role rotates monthly, it provides an opportunity for the country to highlight issues of particular importance, including peacekeeping, conflict prevention, humanitarian crises and security challenges affecting Africa. The appointment comes as the DRC continues to confront armed conflict in the east, humanitarian pressures and regional diplomatic efforts involving the Great Lakes region. Holding the presidency also offers Kinshasa an opportunity to draw greater international attention to instability caused by armed groups, including the M23 rebellion and broader regional security concerns.

Government orders maximum Ebola surveillance in Ituri

Authorities have intensified Ebola prevention measures after the Military Governor of Ituri Province ordered maximum surveillance in the towns of Mongbwalu and Niania, following concerns over a possible resurgence of the virus. The directive includes strengthened health monitoring, increased screening, rapid reporting of suspected cases and closer coordination between provincial authorities and health agencies. Officials are seeking to prevent any spread by ensuring local health facilities remain prepared to identify and isolate potential infections quickly. The renewed alert reflects the DRC's long experience managing Ebola outbreaks. Health authorities continue to rely on surveillance, laboratory testing, contact tracing and community engagement to minimise transmission risks, particularly in eastern provinces where insecurity often complicates public health responses.

South Africa's Ramaphosa visits Kinshasa in solidarity during Ebola response

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa travelled to Kinshasa in a show of solidarity as the Democratic Republic of the Congo responds to renewed Ebola concerns. The visit underscores growing regional cooperation on public health emergencies, recognising that infectious disease outbreaks can quickly become cross-border challenges. Ramaphosa's presence also reflects South Africa's support for regional coordination through the African Union and other continental institutions. Beyond health, the visit highlights the close political and diplomatic relationship between Pretoria and Kinshasa, with both governments continuing to cooperate on peace, security and regional integration in Central and Southern Africa.

Government strengthens security and trade agenda

Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Jacquemain Shabani arrived in Kisangani to chair an interprovincial security meeting and launch the recruitment of 1,600 new police officers, part of efforts to strengthen public security in the country's eastern provinces. Separately, Trade Minister Julien Paluku used a meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, to urge member states to finalise outstanding tariff concessions under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). He argued that completing the tariff negotiations is essential to unlocking greater intra-African trade and ensuring businesses across the continent benefit from the agreement. Together, the initiatives demonstrate Kinshasa's twin priorities of improving domestic security while advancing regional economic integration. As the DRC confronts armed conflict, public health threats and economic challenges simultaneously, officials argue that stronger institutions and deeper continental cooperation will be critical to the country's long-term stability and development.

Despite efforts by the DRC government to contain the infection rate, public apathy and limited resources have kept the numbers rising, pointing to the need for intensified sensitisation especially among rural and border communities.

The persistent conflict in the country’s North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri provinces in the eastern region, where Ebola is more concentrated, is equally problematic. It accounts for continued displacement which not only facilitates virus spread but also hampers humanitarian effort.

In neighbouring Uganda , which has had to close its busy border with its Ebola-hit neighbour, cases have been relatively few. As of June 11, 19 cases and two deaths have been confirmed, including a suspected case involving a person who died. Uganda’s cases have mostly been imported.

The severity of the current Budibugyo strain, which has no proven vaccines, adds fuel to the fire. “Transmission is particularly amplified in healthcare settings when infection prevention and control (IPC) measures are inadequate, and during unsafe burial practices involving direct contact with the deceased,” cautions WHO.

In a crisis of this magnitude, displaced persons are bound to become more vulnerable. For the millions of internally displaced persons scattered across crowded camps, the obvious possibility of infection is a nightmare they must contend with. This is particularly due to severe shortages of clean water, soap and space, among other essentials. Additionally, humanitarian aid cuts have crippled critical health services.

As such, it has become increasingly difficult to observe standard operating procedures such as regular hand washing, keeping a safe distance, and testing suspected cases.

This explains why a mother and her precious daughter from Kpangba camp recently succumbed. Reuters report that the cause of their death was confirmed only after their demise on May 31 and June 1, respectively. This worsens the fear among the over 30,000 IDPs living in the same settlement.

“We are all really worried that Ebola in these camps will spread extremely quickly and that there will be panic and people will flee all over whether or not they’re contacts, whether or not they’re ill,” warns Caitlin Brady, the country director for the Danish Refugee Council in Congo.

As scientists fast-track vaccines targeting the lethal Budibugyo virus strain, special attention must be focused on the plight of vulnerable groups, particularly displaced persons living in high-risk regions.

Combating a complex outbreak like Ebola requires a multifaceted response plan. While strengthening the healthcare infrastructure is vital, similar effort must be dedicated to the social and cultural aspects, like designing and disseminating the right messages to diverse audiences.

Strategic investment in innovative approaches could also help bridge accessibility gaps. For IDP camps, establishing and equipping mobile screening facilities and improving access to clean water and sanitation will go a long way in preventing  further spread.

The article solely represents the views of Simpson Muhwezi, a Ugandan freelance writer and development practitioner.

“One of the facilities that has raised some controversy is the facility we agreed to set up in conjunction with the Americans at one of our military air bases,” Ruto said.

He noted that Kenya hosts a significant U.S. military presence and said the government had expanded its health response capabilities nationwide.

“We have also set up 23 other isolation facilities across the country with the support of partners, among them the Americans, as well as using our own resources,” he said, adding that Washington had contributed 1.8 billion Kenyan shillings toward Ebola-related health infrastructure .

Ruto said the United States had requested additional facilities that could be used if American citizens or military personnel in Kenya required quarantine or monitoring.

“Even if the Americans had not set up that facility at the military base, if there were any Americans in Kenya, we would take them to a Kenyan facility,” he said. “We would not turn them away because the Constitution of Kenya tells us that we are responsible for the health of all people in Kenya.”

The proposed 50-bed isolation centre at Laikipia Air Base near Nanyuki is intended to monitor Americans exposed to Ebola in the DRC or Uganda. U.S. officials have said the facility would be used for individuals not showing symptoms, while confirmed patients would be treated elsewhere.

The project has sparked public opposition, with people accusing the government of exposing Kenyans to unnecessary risks and turning the country into a quarantine hub for foreign nationals.

Kenya’s High Court has extended a suspension on the project and ordered the government to release agreements, protocols and risk assessments related to the facility. Protests in Nanyuki earlier this week left two people dead, although the circumstances surrounding the deaths remain unclear.

In recent years, Uganda’s policy has faced significant shocks, arising mainly from foreign aid cuts which widened gaps in the access of critical social services like healthcare, education and clean water. Service providers such as World Food Programme, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and Save the Children have substantially scaled down their operations, owing to budget shortfalls.

Now, a new crisis is disrupting the policy: the Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. Having been declared a public health emergency of international concern a fortnight ago, suspected Ebola cases in DRC have skyrocketed from just below 300 to 1,077 as of May 28, according to the Africa CDC , while Uganda’s confirmed cases have risen to seven. So far, DRC has recorded 246 suspected deaths, while Uganda has reported 1.

Experts warn that the Bundibugyo strain is highly transmittable and could claim many lives, as efforts to find a vaccine take shape.

In the last few days, inflows have overwhelmed the Nyakabande Transit Centre in Kisoro district, very close to the DRC-Uganda border. The huge numbers have worsened the risk of Ebola cases being imported by people fleeing armed violence. The centre currently accommodates over 1,775 refugees, more than twice its capacity – underscoring the heightened risk of disease spread.

As a public health measure, Uganda has temporarily closed its border with DRC, denying entry to hundreds fleeing gunfire and hunger.

“The only exceptions are authorised Ebola response teams, humanitarian operations, food and cargo transportation, and security,” Dr Diana Atwine, Permanent Secretary at Uganda’s Ministry of Health, announced on Wednesday.

While this clearly passes for preventing the spread of Ebola, it signifies a shift in the country’s approach, pointing to the potential implications; notably, subjecting vulnerable groups like women and children to possible harm.

Zawadi Simbenzye, a refugee, confirms that despite the absence of intense fighting in some parts of eastern DRC, they “are facing generalised insecurity in form of gross human rights abuses such as rape, gender-based violence, economic exploitation through extortion and looting, abductions for ransom, forced recruitment among others.”

Therefore, the measure is problematic.

In fact, it might push migrants to explore informal border crossing, hampering efforts to curb virus spread across the region, a view shared by the World Health Organisation.

This crisis tests the resilience of Uganda’s refugee policy, highlighting the need to build more capacity in the area of pandemic response amid conflict-induced displacement. Response strategies must consider alternative funding sources in light of the ever-shifting priorities of foreign funders.

This is especially critical as the isolation centre at Nyakabande grapples with human resource and logistical shortages amid the downsizing of social services by local providers facing funding inefficiencies.

As a result, Ebola screening and the isolation of suspected infected persons have been impeded. Furthermore, it has put the lives of healthcare workers working with insufficient personal protective tools, on the line.

The overcrowding at transit centres is gravely concerning. The respective governments must move swiftly to set up more screening points and distribute subsidised protective tools such as face masks and hand sanitisers. To achieve this, they could explore public-private partnerships in order to boost local manufacturing of the materials. This will not only help solve the logistical challenges; it will also boost local industry and ultimately the economy.

What’s needed now is community engagement, to build public trust and avoid a repeat of nasty incidents in DRC where mobs set ablaze treatment tents, making the entire community vulnerable.

The article solely represents the views of Simpson Muhwezi, a Ugandan freelance writer and development practitioner.

“Uganda is temporarily closing the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo with immediate effect,” Atwine told reporters.

She said only authorised Ebola response teams, humanitarian operations, cargo transport and security personnel would be allowed to cross, subject to strict health screening and monitoring.

Atwine added that anyone permitted to enter Uganda from the DRC by land or air would face mandatory 21-day isolation measures.

The ministry has also deployed locator phone systems at border posts and airports to improve tracking and contact tracing.

Uganda has so far reported seven Ebola cases and one death linked to the outbreak centred in eastern Congo’s Ituri province.

The first imported case in Uganda died in Kampala on May 14 before tests confirmed infection with the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola.

The DRC and Uganda officially declared outbreaks on May 15 after laboratory confirmation of the virus, prompting the World Health Organization to later classify the situation as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

Health officials are particularly concerned because there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment for the Bundibugyo strain.

The WHO has advised against blanket border closures, warning they could encourage people to use informal crossings and undermine surveillance efforts. Ugandan authorities, however, say tighter controls are necessary because of heavy cross-border movement and increased risks to healthcare workers.

“Africa CDC is concerned about the risk of further spread due to the urban context of Bunia and Rwampara, intense population movement, mining-related mobility in Mongwalu, insecurity in affected areas, gaps in contact listing, infection prevention and control challenges, and the proximity of affected areas to Uganda and South Sudan,” warns Africa CDC in its latest statement .

One case in Uganda on May 14 th validates these concerns: a 59-year-old Congolese man from DRC died of Ebola three days after being admitted in a Kampala hospital.

Cross-border mobility is a double risk: it spreads the disease fast, and it impedes trade and people’s livelihoods especially those living along borders.

What’s more worrying is how the epidemic compounds the humanitarian crisis in eastern Congo, where insecurity has already displaced thousands. Ituri’s high levels of displacement, driven by armed insurgency in areas like Djugu, strain refugees and IDPs who are already under economic pressure. That same insecurity hinders healthcare workers from reaching the people who need them most.

For families already displaced by violence, this isn’t just a health alert, but a reminder that safe areas may not remain safe for long.

Previous outbreaks in DRC, notably between 2018 and 2020, claimed thousands of lives and strained the country’s resources. The country is home to over half a million refugees and nearly 6 million IDPs – people who urgently need support to navigate health emergencies.

Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with an infected person, or someone who has died from the disease. Considering how highly infectious Ebola is, the mass movement of people fleeing to safer areas risks spreading the virus faster. Refugees and IDPs need clear, timely and accessible information about the disease and its symptoms.

Access to water and detergents among displaced populations in the region is shrinking by the day due to aid cuts. This alone will make observing the standard prevention procedures, like keeping hands and surfaces clean, nearly impossible.

Ebola has killed over 15,000 in Africa in the last fifty years, demonstrating the need for sustainable mechanisms to manage its emergence and transmission. Efforts towards an Ebola vaccine offer optimism, but the virus mutates, producing multiple variants that will require an integrated approach.

African countries can’t keep waiting for aid that isn’t coming. They must find alternative funding sources to fill the gaps. The international community holds a shared responsibility to support epidemic response because infectious diseases know no borders. Supporting such efforts, particularly in East Africa which has built coordinated response mechanisms over the years, protects the global community and limits the emergence of new and dangerous variants.

African governments should design policies that foster collaboration between private and public organisations to advance vaccine research. This will help curb the heavy reliance on foreign intervention, which is often marked with vested interests. COVID-19 proved it: global north countries prioritised their populations first, and by the time help arrived, many African lives had already been lost.

The article solely represents the views of Simpson Muhwezi, a Ugandan freelance writer and development practitioner.