Uganda Halts DRC Border Travel, Bans Mass Gatherings Over Ebola

The Ugandan government has announced an immediate halt to all non-essential travel across the Uganda-Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) border, alongside a nationwide suspension of mass gatherings, in a decisive move to contain a looming Ebola threat.

The sweeping directive, issued collaboratively by the Ministry of Health and national security agencies on Thursday, May 21, 2026, comes in response to a rapid escalation of confirmed Ebola cases in the eastern regions of the DRC.

The temporary suspension of border movements is aimed at curbing the cross-border transmission of the highly contagious hemorrhagic fever, which historically poses a severe public health risk to Uganda’s western and northern border districts.

Health authorities have intensified surveillance and deployed rapid response medical teams to high-risk border zones, particularly in the Rwenzori and West Nile sub-regions.

While commercial cargo trucks will be subjected to rigorous, mandatory bio-security screenings and decontamination procedures, regular civilian and pedestrian crossings have been effectively paused to allow health workers to establish foolproof containment protocols.

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Alongside the border restrictions, the government has placed a strict ban on mass public gatherings across the country. This broader restriction builds upon the earlier executive decision to postpone the June 3 Martyrs’ Day celebrations at Namugongo.

Health officials have warned that large congregations for religious, cultural, political, or entertainment purposes create potential super-spreader environments that the country cannot risk during this fragile period.

The Ministry of Health has urged all citizens to remain highly vigilant, strictly adhere to standard operating procedures such as regular handwashing, and immediately report any suspected symptoms—such as sudden high fever, severe weakness, muscle pain, and unexplained bleeding—to the nearest health authorities.