Rwanda Closes Border with DRC over Ebola

Rwanda has closed its border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where a deadly Ebola outbreak that started a year ago has killed more than 1,803 people.

The closure came after a second death linked to Ebola was confirmed on Wednesday in the densely populated Congolese city of Goma, which is on the porous border with Rwanda.

The artisanal miner died on Wednesday morning in the city of Goma, home to two million people, authorities said.

The latest victim came from the north-eastern province of Ituri but fell ill and was admitted to a health center in Kiziba, on the outskirts of Goma, on 13 July.

The World Health Organization, had recommended against travel or trade restrictions, but also declared the outbreak in DRC a global emergency last month.

The DRC presidency’s office said it regretted what it described as a unilateral decision by the Rwandan authorities to restrict movement at the border, “which runs counter to the advice of the World Health Organization”.

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