Ebola strikes Congo again: Barrick raises alerts around the huge Kibali gold mine

The mining group Barrick Mining has strengthened its health measures around the Kibali gold mine in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, after a new Ebola outbreak that has already caused at least 131 deaths in a neighboring province.

According to a company spokesperson, enhanced health checks have been implemented for employees at the mine located in Haut-Uele province. No cases have yet been detected among workers at the site, but the company states it has activated several preventative measures in response to the risk of the virus spreading.

The outbreak was identified in early May in the neighboring province of Ituri, although authorities believe the first cases date back to the end of April. Congolese health officials believe the true death toll could be higher than the 131 officially confirmed deaths so far.

Barrick has implemented measures including daily temperature checks, employee movement tracking, and awareness campaigns about the symptoms and transmission methods of the virus. The company is also monitoring the movements of workers coming from affected areas.

Public health experts are particularly concerned about the high mobility in eastern Congo, where constant movement between mining areas, trading centers, and borders significantly complicates containment efforts. Several employees of the Kibali mine are believed to be from the province affected by the outbreak.

The Ebola virus, extremely dangerous and transmissible through bodily fluids, regularly causes deadly outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Previous epidemics had already severely disrupted the local economy and mining activities in some regions of the country.

In this context, health authorities and businesses in eastern Congo are trying to prevent an uncontrolled spread of the virus, while the region continues to face significant logistical and security challenges.