AFC/M23 rebels manage Ebola outbreak

Congo's AFC/M23 rebels have used a small Ebola outbreak in territory they control to showcase their ability to govern, mounting a response largely separate from authorities in Kinshasa and supported in part by neighbouring Rwanda. The rebel-held areas recorded four Ebola cases after the outbreak was declared on May 15. Late last month, AFC/M23 declared the outbreak over in its territory after a 21-day monitoring period without new cases. This stands in contrast with the rest of Congo, where transmission has continued, infecting 1,873 people and killing 672 according to government data. The rebels imposed strict containment measures, suspending bus routes to government-held areas and isolating potential contact cases. Rwanda deployed six specialists and provided supplies worth over $92,000. Analysts caution that with only four cases, the test of rebel governance capacity is limited, and a fragmented response could complicate containment if the outbreak spreads further.