{
  "id": 11378982,
  "title": "DR Congo official killed defending Ebola response buried",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/dr-congo-official-killed-defending-ebola-response-buried",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-02T06:49:49.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Ghanaian Times",
    "slug": "ghanaian-times",
    "url": "https://ghanaiantimes.com.gh/dr-congo-official-killed-defending-ebola-response-buried/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Marie-Celestin Karondwa, a local politician from eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), was buried on Wednesday following his death by suspected murder in Butembo. Karondwa's party, the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDSP), led by the DRC government, claimed he was beaten to death after defending the government's Ebola response on the radio. Karondwa died at a local hospital from his injuries sustained in the attack on Sunday at his home in Butembo, an Ebola hotspot in North Kivu province. His granddaughter, Sagesse Kavira, stated that his attackers \"beat him up and set the house on fire.\" The party attributed Karondwa's death to his unwavering defense of the party's stance on the Ebola virus disease and its potential threat to the population. The cause of the attack remains unclear, but the killing follows a string of assaults on health workers and other responders during the DRC's 17th and deadliest Ebola outbreak, which has reported over 8,000 cases and nearly 4,000 deaths. The current outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, has no vaccine or specific treatment. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported Ebola presence in several provinces, including North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri, which has the highest number of cases. Residents have been resistant to the Ebola response due to deep distrust of the government, often dismissing the disease as a hoax or a scheme for officials to steal money. This skepticism has complicated the efforts of responders, particularly in rebel-held areas where decades of conflict and human rights abuses have left many residents wary of outsiders and state authorities. The WHO director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has described the situation in eastern DRC as a \"catastrophic collision of disease and conflict\" that hampers the response.",
  "summary": "Mourners have gathered in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to bury a local politician who his party said was beaten to death after he defended the government’s Ebola response on the radio. The funeral for Marie-Celestin Karondwa was held in the city of Butembo on Wednesday. Karondwa was attacked on Sunday at his … The post DR Congo official killed defending Ebola response buried…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}