He Urged People To Prevent Ebola. Hours Later, He Was Beaten To Death

A politician and senior member of Congo's ruling party has reportedly been beaten to death after speaking publicly about Ebola, according to reports. The politician had raised concerns about the disease and discussed Ebola-related issues before the alleged attack. Reports say the politician was later attacked and suffered serious injuries.

According to news agency Reuters, the incident happened on Sunday in Butembo, North Kivu province, which has recently become a hotspot in the ongoing Ebola outbreak. Marie-Celestin Karondwa, acting president of the UDPS party's federal executive committee in Butembo and a party spokesperson, was attacked by residents of his neighbourhood after appearing on a radio show during which he promoted Ebola prevention measures, the UDPS federation in Butembo said in a statement.

The party said the attackers beat him, looted his belongings and set his house on fire. It was not immediately clear who carried out the attack, how many were involved, or what motivated it. But the party said Karondwa was "an innocent victim for having defended the party's position on the existence of the Ebola virus disease (...) and the threat it poses to the population."

Karondwa later died from his injuries, the party said. The mayor of Butembo did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The incident is the latest in a series of attacks on Ebola response teams, underscoring persistent mistrust among the population. 

Also Read | Congo Ebola Outbreak Surpasses Eight Thousand Cases Amid Health Worker Shortages

On Saturday, armed men attacked a hand-washing checkpoint in nearby Beni territory, killing at least one person and wounding several others, a local civil society group reported.

The outbreak, declared on May 15, has infected 8,067 people and killed 3,901, according to government data released on Monday.

(With inputs from Reuters)