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Uganda Restricts Travel with Congo Over Ebola Outbreak

Uganda said that flights to and from the Democratic Republic of Congo would be temporarily suspended, as the outbreak appeared to spread to a rebel-controlled province in Congo.

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Lynsey Chutel reported from London and Matthew Mpoke Bigg reported from Juba, South Sudan.

May 21, 2026

Uganda will tightly restrict travel to and from the Democratic Republic of Congo because of an Ebola outbreak, Ugandan officials announced on Thursday, as health workers in the region rush to stop the virus from spreading.

Uganda’s health ministry said that all flights to and from Congo would be temporarily suspended and that the measure would take effect in 48 hours.

The ministry also said that Uganda was temporarily suspending all cross-border travel with Congo on ferries, buses and other forms of public transportation for four weeks. It temporarily suspended cultural celebrations and commemorations “that attract big numbers of participants along the D.R.C.-Uganda Border,” the ministry added.

The Ebola outbreak has been declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization. In the six days since the outbreak was declared, the number of suspected infections has risen to nearly 600, including 139 deaths, according to the W.H.O.

The Ugandan authorities’ announcement came as the virus appeared to spread to a third province in Congo that is far from the center of the outbreak.

The outbreak is centered in Congo’s northeastern Ituri Province, and cases have also been reported about 350 miles from there, in Goma, a city in North Kivu Province. On Thursday, a 28-year-old was reported to have died form Ebola in South Kivu, a province controlled by M23, a rebel group. M23 said in a statement on social media that lab testing had confirmed the case, and Congo’s central government confirmed it.

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By Lynsey Chutel and Matthew Mpoke Bigg

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