ADDIS ABABA — Africa’s leading public health agency has called for protected access to communities affected by Ebola after a deadly overnight attack in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo forced patients to flee a health facility and disrupted efforts to contain the disease.
The attack took place during the night of Nov. 5-6 in Cantine-Aloya, in Beni territory of North Kivu province. Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said the assault was reportedly carried out by the Allied Democratic Forces, or ADF. Local civil-society sources separately attributed the violence to the group in accounts reported by the Associated Press and Radio Okapi. The attribution has not been presented as a judicial finding.
In a statement issued from Addis Ababa on Nov. 8, while an Ebola outbreak was ongoing in North Kivu, Africa CDC said health facilities had been attacked and patients with confirmed or suspected infections had fled to seek safety.
“Africa CDC calls for corridor of peace, protection of civilians, patients, health workers and health facilities, and for safe, sustained access to affected communities,” the agency said.
Patients flee as violence nears hospital
At the Kelekele Hospital Center in Cantine, 180 patients fled during the attack, according to the Associated Press, which attributed the figure to the center’s medical director, Christian Kakule. Those who left included people suspected of having Ebola and one patient with a confirmed infection.
The violence came dangerously close to the medical facility. Gunfire and burning homes were reported within 50 meters, or 164 feet, of the hospital, the AP said. The proximity of the attack left patients facing an immediate choice between remaining under medical supervision and escaping the violence.
Africa CDC warned that such disruptions carry consequences beyond the facilities directly affected. Interruptions to patient care, contact tracing and disease surveillance create additional risks during an Ebola outbreak, the agency said. It urged authorities and other parties to safeguard the continuity of life-saving health services.
The flight of patients presents a serious operational challenge for response teams, which rely on continued access to patients and affected communities. Africa CDC’s appeal focused on maintaining health services, protecting medical personnel and facilities, and allowing response workers to reach communities safely and consistently.
Death toll remains preliminary
Reported casualty figures continued to change as information emerged from the area. Radio Okapi reported a preliminary toll of at least 24 civilians killed on Nov. 6. The Associated Press later reported at least 33 deaths, citing a count from local civil society.
Both figures were based on early local reporting and should be treated as preliminary. The difference reflects the evolving information available after the attack rather than a confirmed final count.
The incident has placed two urgent threats side by side in North Kivu: the immediate danger posed by armed violence and the public health risks created when Ebola care and monitoring are interrupted. Africa CDC’s proposed “corridor of peace” is intended to protect civilians and patients while preserving access for health workers trying to sustain the outbreak response.
The agency did not limit its appeal to Ebola treatment alone. Its statement emphasized the need to protect health facilities and staff and to maintain essential services for communities affected by the violence. Safe access, it said, must be sustained rather than limited to a short pause in hostilities.
For the patients who fled Kelekele Hospital Center, the disruption means medical teams must contend with the loss of direct supervision at a time when consistent care and surveillance are central to the response. Africa CDC said protecting the continuity of those efforts is necessary to prevent the security crisis from creating further health risks.
The attack underscores how quickly violence can destabilize an outbreak response. With patients displaced, facilities threatened and access to communities uncertain, Africa CDC is pressing for immediate protections that would allow care, tracing and surveillance to continue without exposing civilians or health workers to further danger.
