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DRC: 14 health facilities closed after two deadly ADF attacks in Mambasa
ACTUALITE.CD
Health
Wednesday, March 25, 2026 - 11:06
At least 14 health facilities abruptly suspended operations in Mambasa, Ituri province, following the double attack by Islamist militants from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) between March 11 and 16, 2026, in Muchacha and Babesua. The chief medical officer of the Nia-Nia health zone, Dr. Joseph Pemanakue, warned on Tuesday of a health crisis affecting the Badengaido and Bafwakoa health areas.
In Mabovu, Penge, and Muchacha, no health facilities are currently functioning. Healthcare workers and their patients fled to Badengaido during the initial attack in Muchacha. The attack a few days later in Babesua village worsened the situation. The health facilities in Badengaido also closed, and staff sought refuge in Nia-Nia.
“In Badengaido, some staff were able to resist, but after the attack on Babesua, the facilities closed, even the Badengaido health center. One assistant had stayed there to provide urgent care at the health center, but all the others fled. Even the Bafwakoa health area, which is next door, was also emptied, as was the Babeke health post,” Dr. Pemanakue explained to ACTUALITE.CD.
In Nia-Nia, the number of patients is exploding. The health center has registered more than 90 new patients. "When the population moved, there were many accidents. When people move, disease always moves with them. That's why, at our health facilities here in Nia-Nia, there has been an influx of patients who don't even have the means to pay for treatment," said the chief medical officer of the area.
According to him, cases of accidents, malaria, typhoid fever, waterborne diseases, and cesarean deliveries have increased in the last ten days. The chief medical officer for the area also indicates that some patients are sleeping outdoors.
The doctor also mentioned talks with MSF based in Kisangani. "They need security assurances so they can come and assess the situation before their intervention," he said, adding that he had already identified priority needs, including medication.
The attacks by Muchacha and Babesua left more than 30 people dead in Mambasa. Others remain missing to this day.
Gaston Mukendi, in Kisangani
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Translation Google
Democratic Republic of Congo: Save the Children, thousands of families fleeing conflict in Burundi without food or shelter, and children without an education.
published on
December 29, 2025
Since 6 December, more than 84,000 people from South Kivu have crossed the border into Burundi to escape fighting and bombing, bringing the total number of Congolese refugees and asylum seekers in the country to more than 200,000 [1] .
Many families faced a perilous journey on foot, lasting three or four days, sleeping in the open and crossing swollen rivers, before arriving exhausted and dehydrated at overcrowded transit centers, which offer temporary shelter before being transferred to more permanent facilities.
The severe shortage of food, drinking water, sanitation, housing, and healthcare in transit centers exposes children to the risk of outbreaks of potentially fatal diseases such as cholera. Boys and girls have also been forced to drop out of school. On December 17, the Government of Burundi declared a state of emergency.
Rosine*, a mother of seven, fled with her husband, children, and younger sister. She says she was caught in the bombings in her village. “The bombs started falling on our village. They killed many people. My neighbor's house was hit, and many people died in the explosion. We counted 30 victims.” When the violence escalated, Rosine's family fled in panic, leaving behind their business, their belongings, and her injured mother. “We left my mother in Congo. She had an accident shortly before the conflict and couldn't run. We don't know if she's alive or dead.” But the journey to safety was perilous. To reach Burundi, the family had to cross a swollen river. “The water reached my chest. If it hadn't been for my husband, we wouldn't have made it. One of my little girls was swept away by the current, but fortunately my husband and other men managed to save her.”
Now, in the transit center, Rosine* says hunger is their daily challenge. “My children only eat once a day. Sometimes they don't eat at all because we don't have water to cook with. The tent is small, it floods when it rains, and the children sleep on the floor. We're suffering a lot.” Save the Children emphasizes that women and children are the hardest hit, arriving exhausted and severely traumatized. As Rosine* explains, her children are still terrified by the sound of explosions. “The sound of gunshots and bombs terrified them. Even today, when something falls, they get scared and think the bombing has started again.”
Children in transit centers say they've had to interrupt their studies. Tina*, 9, who fled with her mother Lucia* and four siblings, dreams of returning to school: "I went to school, I was in third grade. I love studying. When the shooting started, I was so scared. I didn't take my books when we escaped. I want to continue studying and become a doctor.
There's no food here and it's too cold. The last time I ate was yesterday."
His mother, Lucia*, who walked for three days with her children to reach Burundi, fears for their livelihood. "We slept along the road, in the rain, with nothing to cover ourselves with. My children are getting sick from the cold, the rain, and because they don't eat enough."
“Children fleeing the conflict in the DRC are paying the highest price of the violence. They arrive in Burundi traumatized, hungry, and exhausted. Many have witnessed the killings, lost family members, and dropped out of school overnight. Now families urgently need food, clean water, safe shelter, healthcare, and child-friendly spaces to help their youngest children overcome the trauma of their experiences. Without immediate additional funding, we risk being unable to help the boys and girls who have already lost so much. The international community must act now to protect them as they flee the conflict and ensure they are not forgotten,” said Geoffrey Kirenga, Chief of Mission in Burundi for Save the Children, the international organization that for over 100 years has fought to save girls and boys at risk and guarantee them a future.
Save the Children, along with other humanitarian organizations, is providing support to families. The agency is distributing hygiene and personal care items, including kitenges (cloth sheets that can be used for clothes or sheets), underwear, soap, and feminine hygiene kits for girls, pregnant women, mothers with young children, and elderly women. Unfortunately, needs far exceed available resources. The Government of Burundi has launched an appeal with the UN and partners to raise over $33 million to provide humanitarian aid to 90,000 new arrivals over the past four months, but only 10% of this amount has been raised so far.
Save the Children is calling on the international community and donors to urgently increase funding to meet the essential needs of children and families displaced by the ongoing conflict in eastern DRC.
Save the Children has been working in Burundi since 2016, providing child protection services, prevention and response to gender-based violence, health, child rights governance, and education. Our team in Burundi supports thousands of displaced children and their families.
*Names have been changed to protect anonymity.
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Congolese refugees in Burundi in dire need of support
Press Release 23 December 2025- More than 88,000 refugees have fled to Burundi, facing dire living conditions and limited access to basic needs.
- There is a high risk of epidemic diseases, including cholera, measles and malaria.
- Overwhelming needs require immediate mobilisation to provide vital healthcare and essential support.
Bujumbura - According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), more than 88,000 refugees have fled to Burundi since the recent escalation of violence in South Kivu province, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. People face dire living conditions in the camps, with limited access to clean water, food, hygiene and basic needs, as people kept arriving during the last days. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is expanding its emergency response and warns about the risk of the spread of epidemic diseases such as cholera and measles, and a catastrophic increase in malaria cases among people made vulnerable in the midst of this crisis.
“The camp is saturated, you can see a few families sharing the same tent, and the ground is covered in mud,” says Zakari Moluh, MSF project coordinator describing the situation in the Ndava site in Cibitoke, northwest of Burundi. “We see people holding two-litre water bottles and this is all they have to cover their water needs; food is almost unavailable. We fear a worsening of the health and humanitarian situation.”
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Translation Google
South Kivu: Health alert due to measles, cholera and Mpox
Published on Wed, 05/11/2025 - 11:14 | Modified on Wed, 05/11/2025 - 11:14
South Kivu is facing a critical epidemiological situation, marked by the simultaneous resurgence of three major infectious diseases: measles, cholera, and Mpox (monkeypox). This was announced on Wednesday, November 5th, by the provincial chief medical officer of health, Dr. Aimé Alengo Odudu, who painted an alarming picture of the situation.
According to data compiled between the 1st and 43rd weeks of 2025, the province recorded:
7,961 cases of measles and 164 deaths, representing a case fatality rate of 2.06% in 21 health zones
19,011 cases of Mpox and 17 deaths, representing a case fatality rate of 0.69% in 34 health zones
10,900 cases of cholera and 75 deaths, representing a case fatality rate of 0.69% in 16 health zones
A new threat: polio
Dr. Alengo also warned of an emerging polio epidemic, confirmed by laboratory testing. The province is now classified as high-risk, and health authorities are preparing a vaccination response in a context of war, where several areas of the province, including the city of Bukavu, are under the control of the M23-AFC rebellion.
"The big challenge is care. There is a real problem with the availability of medicines, especially for children under 5. Even organizing responses is becoming difficult in the current context," he said.
A call to action
Faced with this triple health crisis, provincial authorities are calling for the urgent mobilization of humanitarian and technical partners to:
Strengthening response capacities,
Supplying healthcare facilities with essential medicines,
Protecting the most vulnerable populations, especially children.
The situation in South Kivu illustrates the growing public health challenges in areas affected by insecurity, population displacement and a lack of medical resources.
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Translation Google
"The humanitarian situation in the DRC is one of the most serious in the world," says Antonio Guterres.
Published on Fri, 31/10/2025 - 00:12 | Modified on Fri, 31/10/2025 - 00:12
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres declared on Thursday, October 30, at the Conference in Support of Peace and Prosperity in the Great Lakes Region, held in Paris, that the humanitarian situation in the DRC is one of the most serious in the world.
“For three decades, the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo have endured an endless cycle of violence, hunger, displacement and suffering. This year alone, armed violence has left hundreds dead and thousands injured. More than 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance. 5.7 million are displaced. More than 27 million are suffering from food insecurity,” he recalled.
He points out that essential services are collapsing, including health, education, water and sanitation systems.
“Cases of cholera are multiplying. And there are appalling reports of forced recruitment, executions, and sexual and gender-based violence. At the same time, significant progress has been made. I am thinking in particular of the US-facilitated Peace Agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo,” noted Antonio Guterres.
He also classifies the ongoing negotiations between the Government and the M23 under Qatari mediation, which recently resulted in an agreement on monitoring and verifying the ceasefire, as encouraging developments.
Caution advised
But, he warns, the situation remains extremely worrying: persistent violence in the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri is jeopardizing the stability of the entire Great Lakes region.
"This conference must mark a turning point. Millions of civilians are counting on the support of the international community. I urge donors to support the Humanitarian Response Plan, which is desperately short of resources. Above all, the fighting must stop and the peace agreements must be implemented without delay ," he pleaded.
He calls on the parties to honor their commitments under the Washington Agreement and the Doha Declaration of Principles, and to fully comply with Security Council resolution 2773.
“The sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of Congo must be respected. And the root causes of the instability and violence that plague the region must be addressed at their source. Throughout this process, the United Nations will continue to support peace efforts, including through MONUSCO’s support for the implementation of a permanent ceasefire,” he pledged.
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Translation Google
Lynching of 4 doctors mistaken for witch doctors in Isangi
Published on Wed, 08/10/2025 - 05:28 | Modified on Wed, 08/10/2025 - 05:28
Four people were brutally beaten to death and then burned on Monday, October 6, in Isangi territory, 125 km west of Kisangani (Tshopo). The victims were falsely accused of being witch doctors who allegedly made the genitals of those they greeted disappear.
These gruesome scenes took place in Ilambi, in the Isangi health zone, and in Yafwira, in the Yabaondo health zone. The victims were actually investigators on assignment for the School of Public Health.
The victims included doctors and epidemiologists. All were on official business in Isangi territory in preparation for the zero-dose vaccination campaign for children, according to the provincial health division chief physician, Bienvenue IKOMO. Zero-dose children are those who have not been vaccinated because they are in areas that are difficult to access.
The same source states that two of these investigators were beaten to death before being burned in the Ilambi locality.
While two others suffered the same fate in Yafira, before the rest of their bodies were thrown into the Lomami River.
This information is confirmed by the interim administrator of the Isangi territory. The provincial Minister of Interior and Security, Roger Ekongo Demba, describes this situation as worrying. Because these cases come on top of others that have already occurred previously in the territories of Yahuma, Basoko and Ubundu.
To put an end to these atrocities, Roger Ekongo recommends strong public awareness:
" Let the population understand that every new figure who arrives in an environment is not the figure of a fetishist. Otherwise, we risk making amalgams and we will arrive at uncontrolled situations, that the population avoids following the rumors... "
On the other hand, a person identified as a supporter of these fetishistic practices must be immediately sent to the police, recommends the provincial minister of the interior and security.
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Translation Google
Tshopo: Two health workers killed in Ilambi amid accusations of sexual atrophy
October 7, 2025Isangi, October 7 , 2025 (ACP).- Two health workers were killed and then burned in the village of Ilambi, Isangi territory, in the Tshopo province in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo, after being accused of involvement in a series of alleged cases of “genital atrophy,” the ACP learned from a local source.
"Nothing justifies such a barbaric act. These agents were simply doing their job of raising health awareness," said Dr. Gabriel Oketa, an emergency physician at the Makiso General Reference Hospital in Kisangani.
The victims, Dr. Placide Mbungi, a general practitioner, and John Tangakea, an epidemiologist, were participating in a public health campaign when they were attacked by an angry mob. The exact circumstances of the tragedy remain unclear, but authorities cite a climate of mistrust and tension fueled by rumors and mystical-social beliefs.
The Isangi prosecutor's office has opened an investigation to identify the perpetrators and determine who is responsible. Human rights organizations have condemned the violence, denouncing the increasing number of attacks against medical personnel and the devastating effects of misinformation in rural areas.
This latest incident has renewed calls for increased protection for health workers and increased community education efforts against superstitions and mystical beliefs.
ACP /ODM
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Translation Google
Tshopo: Two doctors burned alive in Isangi, wrongly accused of “sex theft”
07.10.2025
Two doctors were lynched and burned alive on Monday, October 6, 2025, in Ilambi, in the Isangi territory, Tshopo province, after being wrongly accused of "sex theft" based on unfounded rumors.
The victims were Dr. John Tangakeya, an epidemiologist and head of the Epidemic Treatment Center (ETC) in Makiso, and his colleague, Dr. Placide Mbungi, a doctor attached to the Kisangani School of Public Health. While on official business in Ilambi, the two practitioners were targeted by the local population, who suspected them of being responsible for alleged cases of atrophy or disappearance of male genitals.
Gruesome footage of their lynching, widely shared on social media, shows an angry mob attacking the two doctors. According to a source within the Tshopo Provincial Health Division (DPS), these accusations were based solely on unfounded rumors fueled by popular belief.
"Our two colleagues were wrongly accused, lynched, and burned alive amid rumors of missing genitals. Dr. Tangakeya, a well-known epidemiologist in Kisangani, was on official business in Ilambi at the time of the tragedy. He was the head of the Makiso Epidemic Treatment Center until his tragic death," the same source said.
According to testimonies gathered on the spot, Dr. Mbungi, who recently arrived from Kinshasa, suffered the same fate. Local sources indicate that some of the charred remains of the two men were thrown into a river.
For several weeks, a climate of psychosis has been taking hold in the region surrounding the phenomenon known as "sex theft." According to these persistent rumors, simple physical contact with certain people can cause the atrophy or disappearance of the male genitalia.
"People claim to have seen the two doctors wearing rings and using supposedly magical perfumes. But no proven cases of missing genitals were reported either on Sunday or Monday in Ilambi," explains a member of local civil society who strongly condemns these acts of mob justice.
With this double murder, the number of people killed in the province following this rumor now stands at four.
Faithful Mamba
CongoProfond / MCP, via mediacong.net
https://www.mediacongo.net/article-actualite-155897_tshopo_deux_medecins_brules_vifs_a_isangi_a ccuses_a_tort_de_vol_de_sexe.html
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Tshopo: Two doctors lynched and burned alive in Ilambi (Isangi) amid rumors of "genital atrophy," at least nine people killed in recent months in the same circumstances
Tuesday, October 7, 2025 - 08:20
An epidemiologist and a doctor attached to the Kisangani School of Public Health were tragically killed on Monday, October 6, 2025, by a crowd in Ilambi, in the Isangi territory, where they were on a service mission.
Epidemiologist John Tangakeya, head of the Makiso Epidemic Treatment Center, and his colleague were accused of genital atrophy, which in men is characterized by a decrease in the size and firmness of the penis.
After being lynched, the bodies of two doctors were burned before some of their remains were thrown into a river. Scenes of extreme cruelty were filmed and shared by their perpetrators. The local population of Ilambi said they saw the two victims wearing rings and perfumes considered "magical."
Our sources within the Provincial Health Division confirm that the two officers were lynched and burned to death. In Ilambi, however, no cases of missing genitals were reported on Sunday and Monday.
Last April, in Bumba, a man was shot dead for the same reasons. In Basoko, last September, four people suspected of the same acts were also killed by a mob. During the same month, in Yahuma, the population also killed an alleged perpetrator.
In Nia-nia, in Ituri province, another accused person was the victim of genital mutilation. Meanwhile, in Kisangani, the police are rescuing the alleged perpetrators of this practice. Those whose external genitalia have been significantly reduced after a hand gesture are quickly taken to churches for intense prayer. This situation is causing concern among the public in the region.
Gaston MUKENDI, in Kisangani
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Case atrophied in Tshopo: after the lynching of two doctors, two more investigators from the Provincial Health Division killed in Yafira (Isangi)
Tuesday, October 7, 2025 - 12:08
Health sources reported to ACTUALITE.CD the murder of two other health workers by a mob on Monday, October 6, in Yafira, in the Isangi territory (Tshopo). The victims were also suspected of practicing male genital atrophy, which is characterized in particular by a reduction in the size and firmness of the penis.
Two doctors were also lynched and burned alive on the same Monday in Ilambi, still in the Isangi territory.
The victims of Yafira, according to our sources, are investigators from the Tshopo Provincial Health Division (DPS) on a service mission as part of vaccination coverage in the Isangi health zone.
Health sources also report that another doctor escaped lynching on the same Monday. He is the vice-president of the National Council of the Order of Physicians in Tshopo. He sustained a head injury and is currently being treated in Kisangani.
Gaston MUKENDI, in Kisangani
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Guterres welcomes peace deal between DR Congo and Rwanda
© WFP/Moses Sawasawa
People fleeing a displacement camp to escape fighting between Congolese forces and M23 rebels in North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (file)
28 June 2025 Peace and Security
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed the peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda signed on Friday in the United States capital, Washington, DC.
The accord is “a significant step towards de-escalation, peace and stability in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Great Lakes region,” he said in a statement that evening.
A breakthrough amid crisis
Since the 1990s, eastern DRC has been plagued by dozens of armed groups who have terrorized the population.
The Government has long accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebel group which Rwanda has denied.
Earlier this year, the M23 launched an offensive in North and South Kivu provinces, capturing cities and villages, including provincial capitals Goma and Bukavu.
Thousands of civilians were killed, hundreds of thousands more were displaced, and serious human rights violations were committed.
UN commitment remains
The Secretary-General commended the US for its leadership in facilitating the mediation process, in coordination with Qatar and the African Union Mediator, President Faure Gnassingbé of Togo.
He also acknowledged the contributions of the five co-facilitators designated by the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
He urged the parties to fully honour their commitments under the peace agreement and in line with UN Security Council resolution 2773 (2025), including the cessation of hostilities and all other agreed measures.
The resolution, unanimously adopted in February, condemned the M23 offensive and called for the DRC and Rwanda to return to diplomatic talks.
The Secretary-General concluded his statement by saying the UN, including through its peacekeeping mission in the DRC, MONUSCO, “remains fully committed to supporting the implementation of the agreement, in close coordination with the African Union, regional and international partners.”
Coincidentally, the Security Council met on Friday to discuss developments in the DRC.
The Secretary-General's Special Representative for the country and Head of MONUSCO, Bintou Keita, welcomed the peace agreement as a significant step towards ending the conflict.
‘A chance to turn the page’
The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, echoed this message in a statement on Saturday, saying the agreement “offers a chance to stop the cycle of violence and displacement and focus on solutions that restore dignity, stability, and opportunity.”
Furthermore, it “can bring renewed hope to those who have endured far too much for far too long,” added the agency’s chief, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.
“This is a chance to turn the page – ensuring the protection of civilians, including refugees and internally displaced people, and advancing durable solutions that allow them to rebuild their lives in safety and dignity,” he said.
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Translation Google
DRC-Rwanda Peace Agreement: Tshisekedi Sees It as a Promise of Peace for the Troubled East
Published on Mon, 06/30/2025 - 12:33 | Modified on Mon, 06/30/2025 - 12:35
Head of State Félix Tshisekedi, Wednesday, December 11, 2024, during his speech before the two chambers of Parliament, meeting in congress, at the People's Palace, in Kinshasa.
Photo/Cellcom Presidency of the Republic
In his speech on Monday, June 30, marking the 65th anniversary of independence, President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi welcomed the recently signed agreement between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, calling it a "promise of peace" for the people of the eastern part of the country, who have been suffering from decades of conflict.
"This signed agreement is not just a document. It is a promise of peace for our compatriots in Goma, Bukavu, Rutshuru, Lubero... and all the towns and cities martyred by the war," said Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi.
The Head of State affirmed his government's determination to re-establish state authority throughout the territory, while respecting national sovereignty and the legitimate aspirations of the Congolese people.
Justice and memory for the victims
President Tshisekedi stressed that, despite pacification efforts, the demand for justice remains intact for the victims of the atrocities committed in the East.
“The agreement signed in Washington opens up unprecedented prospects. It heralds an era of lasting peace, regional cooperation, and shared prosperity. It commits us to rebuilding our communities, revitalizing our economies, and restoring the dignity of every Congolese person. This peace, precious as it is, remains fragile. It requires an unwavering commitment from all of us—government, citizens, partners—to its consolidation. We will continue to demand that justice be done and that those responsible be held accountable.”
International support welcomed
The Congolese President expressed his deep gratitude to the key players who contributed to the signing of this agreement:
Donald Trump, for his personal commitment to the process,
Sheikh Tamim of Qatar, whose discreet mediation facilitated the dialogue,
João Lourenço (Angola) and Uhuru Kenyatta (Kenya), for their diplomatic efforts, whose decisive commitment has largely contributed to bringing the security tragedy facing the Democratic Republic of Congo to the attention of the international community.
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Peace Agreement Between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Rwanda
By U.S. Embassy Kinshasa
June 27, 2025
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DRC-M23: Explosion of cases of acute renal failure and malaria in Lubutu (Maniema) following the arrival of displaced people from Walikale
Tuesday, April 1, 2025 - 11:05
In Maniema, cases of malaria and acute renal failure have exploded in health facilities in the Lubutu health zone, according to a quarterly report jointly signed by the territorial administrator, the chief medical officer of the zone, and civil society, all from Lubutu.
The report highlights that malaria was confirmed in 4,452 people, or 47.6% of patients; acute renal failure in 2,715 people, or 29%; diarrhea in 1,642 people, or 17.6%; typhoid fever in 298 people, or 0.03%; and finally pneumonia in 249 people, or 0.03%.
The war being waged by the AFC/M23 rebellion in the east of the country is the main cause of this situation, according to the report's signatories. Aggravating factors include inadequate health infrastructure, reception capacity, equipment, a shortage of qualified personnel, insecurity and difficult access to remote health areas, insufficient financial resources and medicines, as well as hygienic latrines. It should be noted that only 12% of water sources are developed.
The Lubutu health zone fears that existing health facilities will be overwhelmed. The signatories therefore highlight the need for increased staffing and infrastructure. They also call for mobile clinics to reach populations in remote health areas and displaced persons camps.
Lubutu territory borders Walikale territory, the center of which is occupied by AFC/M23 rebels. A large number of people left Walikale between January and March to seek refuge from clashes between the FARDC and the AFC/M23. The humanitarian situation in Lubutu is precarious, and displaced people remain without assistance.
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Invasion of Rwanda, already more than 8500 bodies buried in Goma (Kamba)
01.03.2025
"In the last two days alone, we have received 19 gunshot wounds and we have had 23 deaths between February 23 and 25, 2025. This is to tell you that we receive an average of 10 deaths per day. So, the situation has not improved," laments the Minister of Health, Dr. Roger Kamba.
He notes that in total, "we have deplored more than 1,500 deaths in the care centers. On the other hand, with civil security, we have already buried more than 8,500 people. We continue, unfortunately, to receive remains. We still have about thirty deaths in our morgues because the others were able to be buried and during the night of the 25th to the 26th, we deplored in a Nganda (bar), bodies that were burned."
However, he emphasizes, "we do not have the number yet because we are in the process of validating." Dr. Roger Kamba also says that "our teams work in very difficult conditions where their phones are monitored, where we try to find out what information they give us. So, we are trying to find solutions because these are teams from the Ministry of Health and we have to protect their lives."
Beyond these figures, the Minister of Health also notes that "we still have about thirty deaths in our morgues because the others were able to be buried", and also, on the night of February 25 to 26, he specifies, "we deplored in a drinking establishment commonly called Nganda, bodies that were burned. But we do not yet have the number because we are in the process of validating".
As for the injured, "we had 5,460 the day before yesterday. Since this morning, we have gone up to 5,587 injured. And so, it is only increasing day by day."
More than 50 dead and 179 injured in South Kivu
"Since February 14, 179 injured and 52 dead have been recorded in Uvira," which shows that on the humanitarian level, the entire area is in a catastrophic situation.
The Minister of Health also notes a little over "200 cases of cholera and, of course, there are deaths related to cholera. But we do not know how many people they are contaminating in the community because the patients were able to flee, the M-pox treatment centers were destroyed and therefore, we do not know how many people they are contaminating in the community."
The Rwandan army and its M23 auxiliaries have occupied the city of Goma since the end of January 2025, after fierce fighting and fierce resistance imposed on them by the FARDC. Since then, they have extended their occupation to the city of Bukavu, in South Kivu province, in defiance of all recommendations from regional, sub-regional and international organizations calling on them to cease hostilities and withdraw from the occupied territories.
Dieumerci Lusakumunu
TOP CONGO FM / MCP, via mediacongo.net
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Eastern DRC: UN concerned by worsening cholera epidemic in Goma
February 24, 2025 Peace and security
While the security situation in the city of Goma remains worrying and a "precarious calm" is noted in Bukavu, capitals of North and South Kivu currently under the control of the M23 armed group, United Nations humanitarian agencies expressed concern on Monday about the worsening of the cholera epidemic in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs ( OCHA ), the Health sectoral cluster is warning of a worsening of the cholera epidemic in and around Goma.
At least 420 cases and 1 death were reported over two consecutive weeks (February 3-15), representing more than a third of the 1,280 cholera cases recorded across North Kivu province since the beginning of the year.
In addition, suspected cases of cholera have been reported within the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission ( MONUSCO ) camp in Goma, where many disarmed members of the DRC Armed Forces (FARDC) have taken refuge. To date, one death due to cholera has been recorded, while 24 suspected cases are being treated.
"Rapid screening tests confirmed three cases among them. Further diagnosis is underway," OCHA detailed in its latest situation report.
Measles cases in South Kivu
In response to this potential outbreak, the World Health Organization ( WHO ) has implemented response measures, which include isolating and treating affected people, as well as distributing water, hygiene and sanitation kits to camp occupants.
While North Kivu is facing cholera, in South Kivu, the concern is about mpox (monkey pox) and the increase in measles cases. According to OCHA, 224 cases of measles and 7 deaths have been recorded among the displaced population since this new resurgence of tension in eastern DRC.
Kalole health zone is among the most affected areas, with 101 cases and four deaths recorded in the week of February 2 to 8 (week 6) compared to 123 cases and three deaths in the week of January 26 to February 1, 2025.
WHO/Guerchom Ndebo
A three-week-old girl with smallpox in the emergency room of Kavumu hospital in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo. (archive)
Concerns over the spread of mpox
In addition, the Health Cluster reports 590 suspected cases and one death due to MPOX in the week of 2-8 February. WHO reports a positivity rate of 42% on the 315 samples collected from the suspected cases. The Cluster also reports that three MPOX treatment centres were destroyed in Kalehe, Minova and Miti Murhesa following bombings.
The DRC is among the countries most affected by MPOX in the world, with more than 79,000 suspected cases including more than 1,500 deaths spread across all of its 26 provinces, between January 1, 2024 and February 9, 2025. Nearly 15,000 cases of MPOX were laboratory-confirmed in the country's 26 provinces during the same period.
Since the end of January, the M23 armed group, supported by the Rwandan army, has arrived in new localities, including Goma and Bukavu, triggering new population movements. This advance by the M23 is the most serious escalation in more than ten years in the conflict raging in eastern Congo.
Conflict in the East: more than 7,000 victims since January
In Geneva, the head of the Congolese government indicated that the clashes in the east of the DRC have caused more than 7,000 victims since the beginning of January.
“The security and humanitarian situation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has reached alarming levels,” DRC Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka told a high-level meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Among the thousands of victims counted by the Ministry of Health, around 2,500 were buried without being identified and more than 1,500 bodies are lying around in morgues.
The Congolese authorities have also recorded "more than 215 identified cases of cholera and several cases of mpox not treated with risk of expansion". In addition, the Prime Minister castigated the destruction of more than 90 reception sites for internally displaced persons as well as attacks on hospitals and humanitarian warehouses.
A Photo/Jean Marc Ferré
UN Secretary-General António Guterres addresses the opening of the 58th session of the Human Rights Council.
António Guterres warns of risks of regional crisis
Echoing this warning from the head of the Congolese government, the UN Secretary General warned of an imminent catastrophe in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
"We are witnessing a whirlwind of violence caused by the M23 offensive, supported by Rwanda. It is time to silence the guns. The risk of a regional crisis is real," António Guterres stressed .
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the security situation in the city of Goma and its outlying districts remains worrying.
"A resurgence of criminal acts, including home invasions, thefts and assaults, has been observed, fueling a climate of fear among civilian populations," OCHA deplores, also noting that "targeted assassinations are reported."
In South Kivu, however, the security situation has returned to normal, despite "a few pockets of insecurity" reported in the town of Bukavu and in the northern periphery.
“Humanitarian sources reported active fighting in Uvira between 14 and 20 February, posing security risks for medical teams and the delivery of supplies, hampering humanitarian access, including the movement of ambulances,” OCHA said.
Last edited by Pathfinder; February 25, 2025, 10:55 AM.Leave a comment:
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Translation Google
North Kivu: MSF employee seriously injured in Masisi Centre after gunfire hits MSF base
Press Releases
February 20, 2025
An employee of the international medical organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) was seriously injured on Thursday when gunfire hit the MSF base in Masisi Centre, North Kivu, again. A child who had sought refuge with his family in the MSF base was also injured by the gunfire. MSF condemns in the strongest terms these gunshots, which seriously undermine the essential protection of humanitarian facilities.
“This morning, one of our colleagues who was at his post in the MSF base in Masisi was very seriously injured by a bullet, hit by one of the many shots that have affected our premises in recent weeks. His life is unfortunately in danger,” explains Stephan Goetghebuer, head of MSF programs in North Kivu. “During the shooting, a child who had taken refuge in our premises was also slightly injured by a bullet. We strongly condemn this umpteenth episode of violence that has directly affected a humanitarian structure that is supposed to be protected from such shooting.”
Since early January, the city of Masisi Centre and its surroundings have been the scene of almost daily clashes between VDP/Wazalendo fighters (allied to the Congolese army) and the M23/AFC. These clashes have led to an influx of wounded people - mostly civilians - into the Masisi general referral hospital, supported by MSF, and have pushed thousands of people to regularly seek refuge there, as well as in the MSF base.
“These repeated violent incidents are unacceptable. Despite our repeated calls to the belligerents to protect humanitarian and health structures, the safety of patients, medical and humanitarian personnel is clearly not taken into account. Humanitarian law is being trampled underfoot. This must stop.”
Stephan Goetghebuer, head of MSF programs in North Kivu
"This Thursday, intense fighting, including with heavy weapons, took place within the city itself, which has been controlled by the M23/AFC since mid-January," continues Stephan Goetghebuer. "This fighting took place in particular between the MSF office and the market located in front of the hospital where thousands of people have once again been taking refuge for days."
Since the beginning of January, numerous serious incidents have affected the MSF base, the General Hospital and their immediate surroundings.
On 16 January, two civilians were shot at in front of the hospital, fatally wounding one of them. On 19 January, gunfire hit the hospital and the MSF base, and two MSF staff were injured when a rocket hit the MSF garage adjacent to the hospital. On 28 January, a woman was shot dead during clashes between the MSF office and the organization’s base. On 16 February, a Ministry of Health employee was injured by a stray bullet that passed through the hospital.
"These repeated violent incidents are unacceptable," Goetghebuer denounced. "Despite our repeated calls to the belligerents to protect humanitarian and health structures, the safety of patients, medical and humanitarian personnel is clearly not taken into account. Humanitarian law is being trampled underfoot. This must stop."
Supported since 2007 by MSF, the Masisi General Reference Hospital has received dozens of war wounded in recent days.
In view of the situation on the ground and the repetition of incidents affecting the medical and humanitarian mission in Masisi Centre, MSF is currently evaluating how to adapt its presence and activities in this area where the population is facing massive medical and humanitarian needs.
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Translation Google
Health crisis in eastern DRC: 4,260 injured reported in hospitals
February 13, 2025
Kinshasa, February 13, 2025 (ACP).- Four thousand two hundred and sixty ( 4,260) injured following the Rwandan aggression have been reported in the health facilities of the two eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo, announced the Minister of Health, during a press briefing Thursday in Kinshasa.
"We have recorded 4,260 wounded in the health facilities of the provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu and we have recorded 3,000 deaths, including 458 buried in just 5 days, as well as 939 bodies still present in the morgues," declared Dr. Roger Samuel Kamba, Minister of Health.
" Some measures have been taken by the State to help the population in the East. There needs to be a reorientation of the budget in each sector to prioritize and help improve the situation in the East of the country," he added.
"We will mobilize civil society so that everyone can participate effectively so that we have sufficient results. Beyond material resources, there are companies that mobilize fuel and other equipment. There is also the blood campaign to help our compatriots," he said.
For Dr. Kamba, with the destruction of health infrastructure, it is necessary to make medicines and supplies available for the proper care of patients during this period of war.
Faced with this situation, the World Health Organization (WHO) managed to negotiate with the Rwandan authorities for the transport of medical equipment via Nairobi, Rwanda to arrive in Goma.
2,900 bags of blood collected
Furthermore, Dr. Kamba said that 2,900 bags of blood were collected during the blood donation campaign in favor of the Armed Forces of the DRC and the Wazalendos, launched on January 31.
" Through the Blood Transfusion Center, we have already started the packaging of 2,900 blood bags. The assigned objective is 5,000 bags. The campaign will continue and I think the press will help us ," he said.
He said the Ministry of Health has the means to ship these blood bags and is preparing trauma kits to be sent for patient care.
The minister further specified that the major challenges consist of negotiating how to send doctors and nurses to these provinces for the care of the wounded, including surgical care.
" The doctors present on site are exhausted and a replacement is imperative with the sending of surgeons because the city has recorded many gunshot wounds ," he lamented.
Destruction of Mpox processing centers
The Minister of Health also deplored the destruction of Mpox (monkey pox) treatment centres in the provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu and the difficult access to certain health zones such as Nyaragongo.
" As of January 24, we registered approximately 143 Mpox patients in the care center and they all fled unfortunately. We were only able to recover 43 patients. This situation exposes the population to contamination ," he said.
Dr Kamba clarified that these figures are still provisional and minimal, since they only concern medical facilities accessible to date, adding that the government is also closely monitoring the health situation in neighboring countries, including the threat of Ebola in Uganda and Marburg in Rwanda.
Regarding cholera, the Minister of Health indicated that 92 cases were recorded last week in these provinces. This press briefing, focused on the response to the health and humanitarian crisis, aimed in particular to raise awareness of the increased epidemiological risks of Mpox, Ebola and Cholera as well as the impact of mass displacement. ACP/CL
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