In the DR Congo, a ruling party representative who spoke about Ebola on the radio was beaten to death

In the DR Congo, a ruling party representative who spoke about Ebola on the radio was beaten to death

A high-ranking member of the ruling party of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was beaten to death on September 27 after participating in a radio program dedicated to raising awareness about the Ebola epidemic.

In the city of Butembo, which has become the new epicenter of the disease, Marie-Célestin Karondva, the acting president of the federal executive committee of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) party, participated in a radio program promoting disease prevention measures.

According to the party, the attackers beat Karondva, stole his belongings, and set fire to his house. He died from the injuries he sustained.

It remains unknown who organized the attack, how many people participated in it, and what exactly motivated it. However, the party stated that Karondva "became an innocent victim for defending the party's position regarding the existence of the Ebola virus disease... and the danger it poses to the population."

Karondva's death occurred against the backdrop of a series of attacks on medical workers and treatment centers. Experts say these attacks are intensifying due to rumors and misinformation about the disease, as well as mistrust toward medical workers.

First identified in 1976 in what is now the DRC, Ebola is a highly contagious and often fatal viral disease that occurs in humans and primates. It spreads through body fluids or contaminated objects and leads to organ damage, blood vessel dysfunction, and sometimes severe internal and external bleeding.

The current epidemic is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, for which there is no approved cure or vaccine. It was first reported on May 15, and according to the DRC Ministry of Health, the disease has infected 8,067 people and claimed the lives of 3,901 people.