Ebola: Attackers kill DR Congo journalist shining light on virus

A Congolese journalist who had been raising awareness about the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been killed at his home.

The army said unidentified attackers raided Papy Mumbere Mahamba's home in Lwebma, in the north-eastern province of Ituri, killing him, wounding his wife and burning their house down.

DR Congo is experiencing the world's second-worst Ebola epidemic on record.

People working to stop the virus are often targets of attacks.

Mahamba's murder is likely to have been fuelled by deep suspicion of the Ebola virus and mistrust of those who are working to stop it, the BBC World Service's Africa editor Will Ross says.

What happened?
Mr Mahamba had just hosted an Ebola awareness programme on a community radio station when the attack took place.

Professor Steve Ahuka, national coordinator of the fight against Ebola, confirmed the reports from the army that a "community worker" involved in the fight against Ebola had been killed.

A journalist at Radio Lwemba, the local radio station where he worked, also confirmed the details. Jacques Kamwina told AFP news agency that Mahamba had been stabbed to death.

What is the situation with Ebola in the DRC?
The DRC declared an Ebola epidemic in August 2018. More than 2,000 lives have been lost amid a total of 3,000 confirmed infections, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The outbreak is affecting the DRC's North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri provinces.

In July, the WHO said the situation there was a "public health emergency of international concern."

Fears and myths: Why people are still in denial about Ebola

Efforts to control the outbreak have been hampered by violence against healthcare workers and Ebola treatment facilities.

Some do not believe that the virus exists or do not trust health workers, leading people to avoid treatment.

Over the last year there have been some 200 attacks on health workers, ambulances and health centres.

Comments

CK Akonnor wins dismissal case against Kotoko, Ghanaian giants ordered to pay compensation

Asante Kotoko are expected to CK Akonnor a hefty compensation after the former coach won his case for wrongful dismissal against the club on Monday. The Player Status Committee has ruled the Porcupine Warriors breached the terms of his contract. The ex-Ghana international was sacked in July this year, just nine months into his three-year contract. He dragged the club to the Ghana Football Association demanding his 2 years salary, league trophy cash, and CAF Confederations Cup group stage entitlements. The Player Status Committee ruled that the club was not justified in terminating the contract of the former Hearts of Oak gaffer. Both parties are yet to be furnished with a copy of the ruling. Akonnor rejected an offer to head the club’s technical directorate and left his post under bitter circumstances. The gaffer had been in charge for a close to a year having had stints with Kotoko sworn rivals Hearts of Oak and regional rivals Ashantigold. He had also coached D...

Full History of the living Legend Dag Heward-Mills on Personality Library (Edition 1b)

Dag Heward-Mills was born on the 14 May 1963 to a Swiss mother and Ghanaian father (Nathaniel and Elizabeth Heward-Mills) in London, United Kingdom. He moved with his family soon after his birth to Accra Ghana and has spent his entire life in Ghana. He was converted to Christianity while having his secondary education at Achimota School. He joined Christian youth campaigns such as the Scripture Union as well as the Calvary Road Singers (which later became Harvest Chapel International immediately after his conversion. He proceeding to the University of Ghana Medical School, where he was trained as a medical doctor. He started the Light House Chapel International while still a student in Medical school, having felt a strong call of God to start a church. In his fifth year of Medical School, Dag started the church in a little classroom in the School of Hygiene, Korle-Bu, with no more than 15 members. Amidst persecutions in various forms and with his academic work dema...

Today In History: Kwame Nkrumah arrives in Guinea After the Coup

When news of the coup reached him, Nkrumah was in Peking (today’s Beijing) en route to the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, with plans to end the American war in Vietnam. Leaders of four African countries sent Nkrumah immediate messages of support and invitations. They were the presidents of Egypt (Gamal Abdel Nasser), Mali (Modibo Keita), Guinea (Sekou Toure), and Tanzania (Julius Nyerere). Nkrumah decided to accept Sekou Toure’s invitation. The government of Guinea shared Nkrumah’s Pan-African objectives, encompassing the liberation of the African people from all forms of social injustice and economic exploitation. There also existed a strong brotherly bond between Nkrumah and Sekou Toure. In addition, Guinea was closest to Ghana, to where Nkrumah was determined to return to carry on his work. Sekou Toure came to the rescue of Kwame Nkrumah, the deposed of Ghana and invited him to Guinea where he arrived on March 2, 1966, together with his bodyguards and a few civil servants w...

FRANK ADDO NEWS LIVE

Search This Blog