South Sudan: Diplomatic Rejection of Ebola Outbreak Concerns

• South Sudan's government rejected concerns from six diplomatic missions about an Ebola outbreak, stating no confirmed cases exist.
• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged diplomatic channels for concerns, cautioning against public statements causing fear.
• Diplomatic missions from six countries expressed high risk of Ebola, calling for increased health funding and humanitarian access.
• The WHO assessed the risk of Ebola importation into South Sudan at 99% in October due to porous borders and population movement from the DRC.
• South Sudan has strengthened preparedness, achieving a 72.5% national preparedness level by October, with no confirmed cases despite 76 suspected alerts.

The government of South Sudan has formally dismissed worries raised by six Western and Asian diplomatic missions regarding the potential for an Ebola outbreak within its borders.

The government of South Sudan has formally dismissed worries raised by six Western and Asian diplomatic missions regarding the potential for an Ebola outbreak within its borders. In a statement released on Thursday, the South Sudan Ministry of Foreign Affairs asserted that no cases of the disease have been confirmed in the country, despite an ongoing regional epidemic. The ministry urged diplomatic entities to route their concerns through established official channels, cautioning against public pronouncements that could incite unnecessary fear among the populace. It emphasized that public health communications should rely on verified information to prevent undue alarm.

This rejection followed a joint statement from the embassies of Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States. These missions had expressed significant apprehension about the elevated risk of an Ebola outbreak in South Sudan. While their statement did not claim an active outbreak, it underscored the necessity of bolstering health services and ensuring unimpeded humanitarian access across the nation. The diplomatic group also stressed the critical need for South Sudan's leadership to allocate public revenues towards financing the health sector, specifically mentioning the payment of public health workers' salaries.

The concerns voiced by the diplomatic missions are set against the backdrop of an active Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak, a rare strain of Ebola, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which was declared in May 2026. This regional contagion has also impacted neighboring countries. Kenya, which reported nine confirmed cases, discharged its last patient on November 11, 2026, and began a 42-day countdown to be declared Ebola-free on December 23, 2026. Uganda has successfully brought its outbreak under control. As of November 11, 2026, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) had reported 11,114 confirmed cases and 5,433 related deaths, according to data up to November 10.

South Sudan's shared border with the DRC, coupled with frequent population movements, cross-border trade, and humanitarian displacement, significantly elevates the potential for the virus to be introduced. The WHO, in a separate statement also issued on Thursday, indicated that its October assessment had elevated the risk of Ebola importation into South Sudan to 99%, attributing this heightened risk to porous borders and continuous population flows. A joint assessment conducted in September identified 3,450 individuals who had crossed into South Sudan from the DRC. Despite these risks, South Sudan has not yet recorded any confirmed cases and has actively strengthened its surveillance systems, border point screenings, laboratory preparedness, and community awareness initiatives. The country's national preparedness level reached 72.5% by the end of October, with measures specifically targeting 15 high-risk counties. By October 30, a total of 76 suspected Ebola alerts had been recorded, with 33 testing negative and the remainder being ruled out after further investigation.

The South Sudanese government's directive for diplomatic missions to avoid public statements on health matters underscores a preference for managing public health communication through official channels, aiming to prevent public panic. This stance highlights a tension between international calls for transparency and national efforts to control messaging during health crises. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated the government's commitment to safeguarding public health and acknowledged the assistance from international partners in enhancing national preparedness and response capabilities.

The diplomatic missions' appeal for increased domestic investment in healthcare comes amid broader anxieties regarding the long-term viability of essential services within South Sudan. In a country where international humanitarian organizations play a central role in delivering healthcare, the call for leaders to utilize public revenue for health sector financing, including the remuneration of health workers, points to persistent challenges in ensuring sustainable and independent healthcare provision. The demand for unhindered access for humanitarian organizations further emphasizes the critical role these groups play in reaching vulnerable populations and the need for governmental cooperation to facilitate their work.

Lawyers advising international organizations or businesses operating in South Sudan should note the government's official rejection of diplomatic concerns regarding Ebola. This stance may impact how public health risks are communicated, managed, and enforced locally, requiring careful navigation of official channels and adherence to national directives for operational compliance, particularly concerning health and safety protocols for personnel and humanitarian access.

Source: Original reporting via source text