The DRC government confirmed on Sunday 07 June 2026, that the country had 488 confirmed cases of Ebola and 86 deaths. These figures have steadily risen since the epidemic was officially announced mid May. Christians in the country are dealing with safeguarding their lives both from the disease and from unrelenting militant attacks.
Insurgents have claimed the killing of 57 Christians in a week-long spate of violence in the Beni region of North Kivu. This region borders Ituri, which has been the epicentre of the current Ebola outbreak with hundreds of confirmed cases.
Fighters from Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP) claim they have been behind the killing of Christians in a series of attacks. In the past week, at least 26 Christians were slaughtered in the village of Mayangose, and 15 were killed in an ISCAP raid on the village of Buikine.
In a related incident, four people were kidnapped by armed men on the road connecting Kiwanja and Kanyabayonga, in the heart of Virunga National Park near Busendo in Rutshuru territory, also in North Kivu.
Among those kidnapped was Father Gédéon Kasereka Bahati, a Catholic priest from the parish of Saint Joseph in Bobandana, Diocese of Goma. He was captured after officiating a wedding in Kanyabayonga. His driver and the newlywed couple were also taken hostage.
The Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Beni condemned the killings, pleading for unity and peace. “We strongly condemn the killing of innocent civilians in Beni,” he said. “We call upon all communities to remain united in this painful moment and to reject any form of violence or religious persecution. Peace and justice must prevail for healing to take place.”
Recently, the World Health Organization’s director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, emphasised that insecurity in the DRC, particularly in Ituri, was seriously hampering the response to the Ebola outbreak. “We cannot build community trust or isolate the sick while bombs are falling. We urge all warring parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire to contain this outbreak.”
