KIGALI, Aug 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) —Rwanda has reopened its border with DR Congo, where an Ebola outbreak has killed more than 1,800 people in the past year.
The border was closed for several hours after the confirmation of a third death from Ebola in the Congolese city of Goma.
The third case is the daughter of an artisanal miner who died on Wednesday. He had come from Ituri, the other province where many cases have been confirmed.
The other victim in Goma was a priest who died last month.
At least 2,700 people have been infected in the worst Ebola outbreak in the country’s history.
Tackling the disease has been complicated by conflict in the region.
About 12 new cases are being reported every day in Democratic Republic of Congo, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports.
Last week, the WHO designated the outbreak of Ebola a global health emergency, its highest level of alarm, but warned against trying to contain the virus by closing borders or restricting travel or trade.
The designation has only been used four times previously, including during the Ebola epidemic that killed more than 11,000 people in West Africa between 2014 and 2016.
The WHO has also said it has insufficient money to tackle the problem. It had estimated that it needed $98m to tackle the outbreak between February and July, but it faced a shortfall of $54m.
Goma, home to two million people, is the capital of North Kivu, one of the two provinces in DR Congo which have borne the brunt of the epidemic.
The city lies just across the border from the Rwandan city of Gisenyi, which has a population of around 85,000. Many residents cross the frontier for work and other activities – although illegal routes are also used.
The border had been closed “to avoid unnecessary crossings” to Goma, Gilbert Habayarimana, mayor of Rubavu district in western Rwanda which borders Goma, said earlier.
The Congolese presidency had criticised the decision to close the border, and people on the Rwandan side rejoiced after it was reopened.
Rwanda’s government has intensified cross-border monitoring, advising citizens to avoid unnecessary travel to Goma, according to Health Minister Diane Gashumba.
Efforts to control the outbreak have been hampered by violence against healthcare workers or Ebola treatment facilities. Seven people have been killed and 58 injured in 198 attacks this year. — NNN-AGENCIES
