Rwanda shuts border with DRC over Ebola scourge

As fears rise over the spread of the dreaded Ebola virus, neighbouring Rwanda has moved to close its borders with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The move comes after the death of the second person diagnosed with Ebola in the city of Goma which borders Rwanda.

United Nations health workers have now called for concerted efforts to ensure the virus which has so far killed more than 1,800 people, including three in Uganda does not spread further.

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“This latest case in such a dense population centre underscores the very real risk of further disease transmission, perhaps beyond the country’s borders, and the very urgent need for a strengthened global response and increased donor investment,” a statement by heads of UN agencies on the Ebola outbreak said on Thursday.

The development comes after Saudi Arabia imposed a travel suspension on pilgrims and travelers from the DRC over fears that the Ebola virus could spread during Hajj pilgrimage.

The decision was announced in a note issued by the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs last Friday.

Three other countries including Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia were also included in the travel suspension in a move which the Saudi foreign ministry says is to ensure the well-being of Hajj pilgrims.

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