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Social Media Monitoring: Democratic Republic of the Congo - Rumours and Allegations Featured on Social, Bulletin 7 (12 June 2020)

Countries
DR Congo
Sources
Insecurity Insight
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Misinformation and Threats Targeting International Humanitarian Organisations

Ebola reemergence in Mbandaka is smokescreen for COVID-19 vaccine testing.

• Reactions to the news of a new Ebola outbreak in Équateur province show that skepticism about the existence of the virus runs deep among locals. Clearly influenced by rampant misinformation about Europeans and American governments seeking to trial COVID-19 vaccines on Africans, some locals believe that the outbreak is a cover for COVID-19 vaccination testing.

Claims were also made that Ebola is being artificially induced in Équateur by local and international health organisations to receive funding.

These claims underline the perception widely shared on social media that aid organisations are willing to sacrifice locals for their own interests, whether for vaccination trials or for financial gain. This perception is at times expressed explicitly, with some social media users expressing their concern that the WHO and other organisations “have now gone to kill in Équateur”.

The “release” of another coronavirus disease by China.

• A social media post shared hundreds of times within hours of being published features renowned French microbiologist Didier Raoult claiming that the Chinese government has just released a new coronavirus disease three times more potent than its predecessor.

Such misinformation underlines the perception that COVID-19 has been artificially created by foreigners. However, it is relatively unusual that China is targeted with such disinformation. Most of the time, such actions are attributed to Europeans or Americans.

Locals in Beni believe that the newly set up INGO COVID-19 centre is intended to spread the virus in North Kivu. • Such mistrust in the intentions of health INGOs highlights the communication challenges frontline NGOs face. There are risks of attacks on COVID-19 treatment centres, as occurring frequently during the ongoing Ebola pandemic.