DR Congo politician buried after attack linked by party to Ebola response
Marie-Celestin Karondwa’s party said he was beaten after defending the government’s Ebola response on radio. The attackers and their motive remain unknown.
Mourners buried local politician Marie-Celestin Karondwa in Butembo on Wednesday, days after he died from injuries sustained in an attack at his home, according to his party, the Union for Democracy and Social Progress.
The party said Karondwa had defended the government’s Ebola response on radio before the attack on Sunday. It described him as an “innocent victim” for defending its position on the virus and the threat it poses to the population. The link between his radio comments and the attack has not been independently confirmed.
Karondwa’s granddaughter, Sagesse Kavira, told the Associated Press that he was beaten and his house was set on fire. The identities and number of attackers, and their motive, were not immediately clear.
The killing comes as the Democratic Republic of the Congo confronts what the report describes as its 17th and deadliest Ebola outbreak, with more than 8,000 cases and nearly 4,000 deaths recorded so far. The World Health Organization says the outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no vaccine or specific treatment; potential candidates are being tested.
The response has faced resistance amid distrust of government and health authorities, particularly in conflict-affected eastern areas. Responders say scepticism has complicated efforts to reach communities.
