Brazil general says fighting ebola “top priority”

Brazilian General Elias Rodrigues Martins Filho, spearheading the United Nations (UN) Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo—Monusco—described the efforts against Ebola in the country as the top priority.

“Such crisis can cause a lot more deaths than even the conflicts in the region. And that’s why we set the support for the Ebola crisis as our maximum priority in the mission,” he declared.

The official is leading the plans to protect the population from the activities of dozens of armed groups in the country. However, he said, “the most complex issue” in the peace operation right now is not to leave the humanitarian workers who support the fight against the Ebola outbreak unprotected. The disease has assailed areas in the east of country since 2018.

Techniques

The general told UN News in New York that the knowledge to be applied in the particular context facing Congo goes beyond mere military techniques and tactics. A total of 15,134 soldiers and 600 military observers from different places around the globe have been working in the African country.

The disease has assailed areas in the east of country since 2018 - Goran Tomasevic /Reuters/ All rights reserved

“We have mobilized additional troops in the areas where the virus has been fought with two main goals: first, to protect the humanitarian officials, because they’re the leaders in this process. They come from all over the world, doing their work in a difficult operational environment and often dealing with hostility from the population itself.”

“Second, our troops are there to combat armed groups active in the country who disregard these efforts and attack the population itself as well as the humanitarian workers,” he argued.

Activities

In Filho’s view, optimizing the fight against the disease and undermining the doings of the armed groups means bolstering military action, “especially in the areas of Beni and Butembo.”

“I’d say we’ve been efficient in the protection of humanitarian workers, in both Beni and now Butembo, but it’s something that demands special attention.”

In April, a number of attacks on workers and facilities were reported. During one of these assaults, doctor Richard Mouzoko, a specialist on Ebola, was killed.