The Impact of Geopolitics on the Ebola Crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa

By Sophie Scandella

For fifty years, central Africa has been fighting a disease that remains a persistent challenge. According to the World Health Organization, the Ebola epidemic has killed more than 15,000 people since the mid-1970s. While four strains of the disease are known; namely Zaire, Sudan, Bundibugyo and Taï Forest; Bundibugyo, named after the region in Ouganda where it was first identified, is currently spreading. The Bundibugyo virus is causing numerous deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and also risks spreading to neighboring countries, with several cases already reported in Uganda. 

As this health crisis, the third wave in Bundibugyo, affects the Congolese population, it seems necessary to examine the structural dimensions of this crisis. Moving beyond the medical aspect, this article focuses on the geopolitical environment in which the virus thrives. Amid armed conflict, the collapse of state authority, and the withdrawal of international funding, these issues are adding to the ongoing crisis.           

Previous Ebola Crisis 

Since the virus was first identified in 1976, the Democratic Republic of Congo has experienced 17 outbreaks, making it one of the countries most affected by this disease. But the major problem with the current crisis is that the Bundibugyo strain remains rare and has not yet been effectively treated. In fact, it was the Zaire strain that had been the most prevalent until then, for which vaccines and treatments had been developed. While some argue that the Zaire vaccines might offer some protection against Bundibugyo, this remains a hypothesis, and populations are left without treatments against this spreading virus.  Since the virus is considered highly contagious and given the lack of local infrastructure and medical resources, Congolese physician Dr. Alphonsine Muhoza describes the situation as a “natural habitat” for numerous diseases and bacteria.

The Population Stuck between Armed Conflicts and an Epidemic 

Cases of the Bundibugyo virus are concentrated in the provinces of Ituri and North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo. These are remote areas far from medical facilities and heavily affected by armed conflict. This region is considered highly dangerous, with over 100 active armed groups, shifting alliances driven by ethnic identities and economic interests. The current war between the Congolese army and the M23 coalition, which is mainly composed of Congolese Tutsis, supported by Rwanda. These conflicts are primarily rooted in the regional instability of the 1990s; indeed, following the genocide in Rwanda, many individuals involved in the massacres fled to Congo, creating political instability in the country. This is compounded by the war over the region’s precious minerals. Indeed, the presence of gold, cobalt, and other natural resources has sparked conflicts, as these resources enable armed groups to finance their arms purchases. These conflicts have devastated the region, and the consequences are shown in the country’s ability to deal with the spread of Ebola. With poorly served roads and danger related to these armed conflicts and the population being consequently displaced. As a result, this situation is exacerbating the health crisis by making access to the region unsafe.

In addition to creating logistical problems, this climate of insecurity fosters mistrust amongst the general population. It leads to incidents such as the burning of a Médecins Sans Frontières tent and riots, demonstrating how the population has come to distrust international aid.

Gloire Koko, editor-in-chief of Mama Radio, warns about this situation, explaining that the government’s attention and resources are focused on the “war effort,” thereby neglecting the health sector, even though it is crucial during a health crisis. Thus, despite the population's urgent need for medical care, it remains dependent on international aid. However, obtaining this aid is even more difficult due to armed conflicts that limit access to the affected regions. Furthermore, security concerns may deter some residents from seeking medical care, thereby exacerbating the spread of the virus.

The Issue with Relying on International Help

With the country thus heavily dependent on international aid, the withdrawal of international funding makes the situation all the more difficult. In fact, NGOs are currently facing a significant decline in international aid, particularly from the United States, which recently withdrew from the World Health Organization in January 2026, cutting off American aid as the organization’s largest contributor. In this way, the World Health Organization’s budget was significantly reduced at a critical moment for the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

Still, numerous teams and supplies were deployed in the wake of the crisis, but the organization remains difficult to coordinate. As previously mentioned, the fact that this is a conflict zone makes the situation even more difficult. The conflict between Rwanda and the DR Congo directly complicates cross-border health coordination: Rwanda has announced that all foreign nationals who have traveled to or transited through the DR Congo in the past 30 days will be denied entry into its territory. As this measure would be understandable from a public health perspective, it also reveals the diplomatic complications between the two countries.

Hence, the addition of armed conflict to a health crisis poses a significant threat. What the Democratic Republic of the Congo is currently enduring, this combination of infrastructure problems, socioeconomic concerns, and security issues, makes life extremely difficult for the population. While the WHO is doing its best to respond to the crisis’s urgent needs, its budget and organizational constraints linked to the war are raising concerns. To defeat Ebola, the Congo therefore appears to require many elements, including healthcare resources, peace in the country, and financial aid.

Sources: RTS Radio Télévision Suisse, France 24, MSF UK, U.S. embassy in Rwanda, France info, Le Monde, OECD, WHO, Harvard Education Website, World Health Organization Website, UNICEF, Al Jazeera, Amnesty Org, IRIS France, Le Temps, Courrier International, Health Alert Network (cdc.gov), Institut Pasteur de Lille )

Written by Sophie Scandella 

Edited by Tomás Díaz García, Florence Cunnen and Olivia O´Mahony