Ebola responders on ‘lockdown’ after Congo city’s unrest

Ebola responders are on lockdown in eastern Congo city of Beni after angry residents attacked a United Nations base to protest repeated rebel assaults, World Health Organization said Tuesday. At least four protesters were killed, a local official said. Every day that health workers don’t have full access to Ebola-affected areas is a “trdy” that prolongs second-worst Ebola outbreak in history, WHO director-general Tedros ham Ghebreyesus said on Twitter.

Beni residents are outrd that rebels continue to carry out dely attacks despite presence of U.N. peacekeepers and Congolese forces. Some demand that U.N. mission act or leave.

bodies of four young protesters were found near U.N. base after Monday’s attack, Kumbu Ngoma with Beni’s military court told Associated Press on Tuesday. Investigations continued into cause of ir deaths. Six Congolese soldiers were wounded by gunfire near base, Ngoma ded.

Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi after an emergency meeting Monday decided to allow joint operations between Congolese and U.N. forces in Beni following protests that also burned town hall.

Congo’s military early this month declared a new offensive against Allied Democratic Forces rebels who have killed hundreds of civilians and security forces over past few years in mineral-rich rast.

After U.N. mission in recent days was accused of inaction, it said it could t carry out operations unilaterally in a region where Congo’s military is alrey active, and that it cant participate in Congolese military operations without being invited.

Any unrest in region where numerous rebel groups are active hurts crucial efforts to contain Ebola outbreak. number of reported cases has been dropping, with zero cases recorded on several days this month.

Congo’s president, heartened by trend, said earlier this month he hoped that outbreak could be ended “completely by end of year.” However, WHO says 42 days without new Ebola cases must pass since last possible exposure to a confirmed case for an outbreak to be declared over.

More than 3,100 Ebola cases have been confirmed since this outbreak was declared in August 2018, including more than 2,100 deaths.

WHO has called trend in declining number of cases encouraging but said recent days of protests in Beni and surrounding areas are of “grave concern.