Mai Mai militiamen attacked an Ebola treatment centre at the heart of an outbreak of the disease in eastern Congo on Saturday, killing a policeman and wounding health workers before being repelled by security forces.
The centre in Butembo was the same one torched by unknown assailants last week, an attack that prompted medical aid agency Medecins Sans Frontieres to suspend activities in the area.
Aid workers have faced deep mistrust in some areas as they work to contain the outbreak of the deadly haemorrhagic fever, the worst in Democratic Republic of Congo’s history, killing close to 600 people so far.
Efforts to contain the virus have been hampered by a plethora of armed groups operating in Congo’s lawless east.
World Health Organisation (WHO) President Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus visited the Butembo centre later on Saturday, a statement from the organisation said.
“It breaks my heart to think of the health workers injured and the police officer who died in today’s attack, as we continue to mourn those who died in previous attacks, while defending the right to health,” Tedros was quoted as saying.
“But we have no choice except to continue serving the people here, who are among the most vulnerable in the world.”
Butembo major Sylvain Kanyamanda Mbusa said the Mai Mai militants had been successfully beaten back.
“Because of previous attacks, a security system was already in place and attackers were quickly confronted by the police officers guarding the …centre,” he told Reuters.
The facility had resumed operations only a week ago and had been managed by the ministry of health in collaboration with the WHO and United Nations children’s agency.
