A mob of angry youths attacked and burned an Ebola treatment centre in the village of Bafwabango, in the Democratic Republic of Congo's northeastern Ituri province, killing a police officer and wounding two others. Several Ebola patients, along with people showing symptoms of the virus, fled the facility during the attack, raising fears of further transmission in an already struggling region.

According to Joseph Pemamakuwe, the chief medical officer of the local health district, the group had attempted to prevent the safe burial of a suspected Ebola victim, despite the deceased's family having already given their consent to the procedure. The attack left the centre entirely destroyed. "Everything was set on fire," Pemamakuwe said, adding that operations had not resumed because staff still feared for their safety.

The incident is part of a wider pattern of violence against health workers and treatment facilities that has complicated the response to Congo's latest Ebola outbreak. The current outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain — a variant generally considered less lethal than some others but for which no approved vaccine exists — has been spreading through Ituri province since April. At least 399 people have died and 1,333 confirmed cases have been recorded, though the World Health Organization estimates the true number of infections is likely far higher, as the outbreak went undetected for several weeks before being identified. WHO declared it a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in May.

Mistrust and fear have been central obstacles to containing the disease. Some communities refuse to believe the virus is real, while others accuse outside responders of exploiting the crisis. Safe burials — in which Red Cross teams in full protective equipment handle and inter bodies to prevent transmission — have been a particular flashpoint, as they prevent families from following traditional funeral customs that can involve close contact with the deceased. Health officials note that the body of an Ebola victim remains highly infectious.

Authorities in Ituri have begun introducing new containment measures, including restricting indoor public gatherings to fewer than 50 people. In the neighbouring rebel-controlled province of North Kivu, local authorities have gone further, banning public screenings of Democratic Republic of Congo's matches at the football World Cup. Despite the violence and logistical challenges posed by displacement camps housing more than 1.3 million people, health officials say they are working to expand treatment capacity and accelerate contact tracing, pointing to a rising number of survivors as a sign that the response is making some progress.