An attack by ISIS-linked gunmen killed 16 people in an area of the Democratic Republic of Congo where Ebola cases have been recorded.
The attack by the Allied Democratic Forces – a group that pledged allegiance to ISIS a decade ago – confirms fears that woes of the virus-stricken region of Africa could be compounded by violence.
The victims of the attack in eastern DR Congo were civilians, said a local army spokesman, Lt Marc Elongo. He said it took place in the village of Mbau, in an area known as Beni Territory in North Kivu province.
The provincial government said there are four Ebola cases near the site of the attack. Two are in the city of Beni and two in the town of Oicha.
In a separate attack at the weekend, ADF fighters killed 15 civilians and a soldier in Beni, the government said. The violence adds to DR Congo's problems as it struggles to contain the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. The World Health Organisation said there have been 344 confirmed cases and 60 deaths so far.
WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who visited DR Congo at the weekend, said that conflict was “making everything harder” in tackling the outbreak. He appealed to armed groups to “please, declare a ceasefire … even briefly”.
Ebola cases have also been confirmed in neighbouring Uganda. The ADF is a Ugandan group operating in eastern Congo that pledged allegiance to ISIS in 2017 and was recognised as an affiliate by the extremist group.
Dr Tedros offered some optimism about the outbreak on Wednesday, saying health workers were “catching up”. Testing has improved, meaning a count of 900 suspected cases has been revised down as many were ruled out.
“"The outbreak had a big head start, and we're still behind, but under the leadership of the government of DRC, we're catching up,” Dr Tedros said.
