The Rwanda-DRC border in Rubavu District was shut on Sunday, 17 May after an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) prompted authorities to act swiftly, with the closure remaining in place for an indefinite period. The World Health Organisation (WHO) on the same day declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) — its highest alert designation.

Borders Closed Indefinitely

Prosper Mulindwa, Mayor of Rubavu District in Rwanda's Western Province, told local media that the crossing points linking Goma (DRC) and Rubavu-Gisenyi (Rwanda) have been shut as a precautionary measure. “The borders connecting Goma and Gisenyi have been temporarily closed in response to the Ebola outbreak. We will continue engaging with our residents to explain why this decision was made,” Mulindwa said.

He urged residents to remain patient and cooperative, stressing that the closure was taken to safeguard public health and protect communities from possible infection. Despite the shutdown, health authorities are continuing to screen Rwandan nationals crossing from the DRC, as well as Congolese citizens returning home, who are still being permitted to use the border points under strict health monitoring protocols, according to local media reports.

Death Toll Rises; Bundibugyo Strain With No Specific Vaccine

The death toll from the latest DRC Ebola outbreak has climbed to 87, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), which issued a warning on Saturday that the situation carries a high risk of regional spread. The Africa CDC identified the causative agent as the Bundibugyo strain — a variant for which no strain-specific vaccine is currently available, adding a layer of complexity to containment efforts.

This is a critical distinction from previous Ebola outbreaks in the region, where vaccines targeting the more common Zaire strain were deployed with considerable success. The absence of a targeted vaccine for Bundibugyo significantly narrows the tools available to public health responders.

WHO Declares Public Health Emergency of International Concern

The WHO on Sunday formally determined that the Ebola outbreak, which has now spread to both the DRC and Uganda, constitutes a public health emergency of international concern — the same classification previously applied to COVID-19 and the 2022 mpox surge. In a post on social media platform X, the WHO clarified that while the outbreak meets the PHEIC threshold, it does not meet the criteria for a pandemic emergency.

WHO Director-General expressed gratitude to the leadership of the DRC and Uganda for their commitment to take “necessary and vigorous actions” to bring the outbreak under control, and for their transparency in assessing the risk to other member states — a step that allows the global community to initiate preparedness measures.

Regional Context and What Comes Next

The Goma-Gisenyi crossing is one of the busiest land borders in Central Africa, handling significant cross-border trade and daily commuter traffic between the two nations. Its indefinite closure will have economic consequences for communities on both sides, even as officials argue the public health imperative outweighs the disruption.

This comes amid a broader pattern of Ebola flare-ups in the DRC — the country has recorded more Ebola outbreaks than any other nation — but the Bundibugyo strain's emergence and the absence of a targeted vaccine make this episode particularly concerning for regional health authorities. International health agencies are expected to scale up surveillance and preparedness operations across neighbouring countries in the days ahead.