By Francis Ngahu

VATICAN CITY, AUGUST 23, 2026 (CISA) – Pope Leo XIV appealed to the international community on Sunday to help contain the Ebola outbreak ravaging the Democratic Republic of Congo, as he also offered prayers for more than 100 people killed in a mining disaster in the Central African Republic.

Speaking to pilgrims gathered in St Peter’s Square before the Angelus, the Pope said he keeps the Congolese people close to his heart.

“In my prayers, I often remember the Democratic Republic of the Congo, particularly because of the spread of the Ebola epidemic, which is unfortunately claiming many lives,” he said.

He called on the international community and local communities to work together to bring the epidemic under control.

“I encourage a response from the international community that also involves local communities in prevention efforts, in order to save many human lives,” the Pope said.

The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, has killed more than 2,500 people out of 5,300 confirmed cases. No approved treatment or vaccine currently exists for this strain.

The World Health Organization declared the outbreak an epidemic in May after cases emerged in the DRC and neighbouring Uganda. The Congolese health ministry has said the country has received more than 16,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine, which has proven effective against other Ebola strains, though it offers no protection against the Bundibugyo variant.

Health workers responding to the crisis face a further obstacle: armed conflict between government forces and militia groups controlling several of the cities at the centre of the outbreak.

Prayers for Central African Republic

The Pope also turned his attention to the Central African Republic, where a landslide struck an open-pit gold mine in Zamboyé on 18 August, killing more than 100 people.

“I am also close to the people of the Central African Republic, who are mourning the victims of the collapse that occurred at a mine in Zamboyé,” he said. “May the Lord receive those who lost their lives and sustain efforts to ensure safety and legality at mining sites.”

The Central African government said the mine had already been closed at the time the landslide occurred.