Goma, DR Congo (Running Africa) — The AFC/M23 rebel alliance has announced new travel restrictions between territories under its control and government-held areas affected by Ebola, as the Democratic Republic of Congo battles an outbreak that has now surpassed 5,000 confirmed cases.

Beginning Saturday, shared taxis operating along the Goma-Kirumba route and passenger pirogue boats on selected Lake Edward routes will be suspended for one month.

The restrictions follow the detection of Ebola in two travelers who arrived from Lubero, a government-controlled town, and later tested positive in an area controlled by M23.

The measures underline the growing difficulty of containing the outbreak in eastern DR Congo, where an active conflict has divided territory, disrupted healthcare services and created parallel systems for responding to the virus.

M23 Suspends Taxis and Passenger Boats Over Ebola Risk

Under the new restrictions, shared taxi services along the Goma-Kirumba corridor will be temporarily halted, while passenger movement by pirogue on selected routes across Lake Edward will also be suspended.

The measures are expected to remain in place for one month.

However, taxi-buses and cargo trucks will continue operating between affected areas, subject to stricter health and safety screenings intended to reduce the risk of Ebola spreading across territorial lines.

The restrictions could affect communities that rely heavily on road and lake transport for movement, trade and access to essential services.

Two Travelers Test Positive for Ebola in M23-Controlled Area

The AFC/M23 administration introduced the measures after two travelers from Lubero tested positive for Ebola after entering a village under rebel control.

The cases have raised concerns that movement between government and rebel-held territories could accelerate transmission.

M23 had previously declared territories under its control Ebola-free in June, but the latest infections demonstrate the difficulty of isolating communities from an outbreak spreading across eastern Congo.

DR Congo Ebola Cases Surpass 5,000

The new restrictions come as confirmed Ebola cases in DR Congo surpass 5,000, marking another grim milestone in an outbreak health officials have described as the fastest-spreading on record.

Containing the virus has become particularly challenging because transmission is occurring alongside insecurity and population movement in eastern Congo.

Conflict can make contact tracing, patient isolation, surveillance and the movement of healthcare workers considerably more difficult, particularly when affected communities are divided by military front lines.

Conflict Complicates DR Congo Ebola Response

The Ebola crisis is unfolding against the backdrop of the long-running conflict between the Congolese government and the Rwanda-backed M23 rebellion.

The rebels control significant territory in eastern DR Congo and operate a separate Ebola response within areas under their administration.

That has effectively created parallel health responses on opposite sides of an active conflict, complicating coordination at a time when containing transmission requires rapid information sharing and movement of medical resources.

Restrictions on transport may help reduce movement from affected areas, but they could also create additional challenges for civilians already living with the economic and humanitarian consequences of the conflict.

Eastern Congo Faces Dual Ebola and Security Crisis

The detection of new infections in M23-controlled territory illustrates how quickly Ebola can cross political and military boundaries.

With more than 5,000 confirmed cases, containing the outbreak will require health authorities and organizations operating across eastern Congo to reach communities regardless of who controls the territory.

For residents, the crisis increasingly represents two emergencies unfolding simultaneously: a deadly infectious disease outbreak and an armed conflict that continues to disrupt everyday life.

As the month-long transport restrictions take effect, attention will now turn to whether the measures can slow transmission without further isolating communities already struggling with the consequences of war and the DR Congo Ebola outbreak.