Ebola treatment centre attacked again by Congo's Mai Mai militia

Armed Mai Mai militiamen attacked an Ebola treatment centreat the heart of an outbreak of the disease in eastern Congo on Saturday, killing a police officerbefore being repelled by security forces, the local mayor said.

The centrein Butembo was the same one torched by unknown assailants last week, an attack that prompted Mdecins Sans Frontires(Doctors Without Borders) to suspend activities in the area.

Aid workers have faced deep mistrust from locals in some areas as they work to contain the outbreak, which has become the worst in Democratic Republic of Congo's history, killing close to 600 people so far.

Efforts to contain the virus have been further hampered by a plethora of armed groups operating in Congo's lawless east.

World Health Organization (WHO) President Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was due to visit the Butembo centreon Saturday. A WHO spokesman said it was unclear if the visit would still happen.

Butembo major Sylvain Kanyamanda Mbusa said the Mai Mai militants were successfully repelled.

"Because of previous attacks, a security system was already in place and attackers were quickly confronted by the police officers guarding the ... centre," he told Reuters.

WATCH |Congo's historic Ebola epidemic complicated by conflict

Congos historic Ebola epidemic complicated by conflict

6 years ago

Duration 2:07

Congos Ebola epidemic has killed nearly 600 people, making it the second deadliest in the world. Treating the sick is especially challenging inside an active combat zone.

The facility had resumed operations only a week ago and had been managed by the ministry of health in collaboration with the WHO and United Nations Children's Fund.

The Mai Mai take their name from the word for "water" in a local Swahili dialect, because some of their fighters believe magic can turn flying bullets into water.

They comprise several armed bands that originally formed to resist two invasions by Rwandan forces in the late 1990s. They have since morphed into a variety of ethnic-based militia, smuggling networks and protection rackets.

One of the militiamen was wounded in Saturday's attack and is in custody, Kanyamanda Mbusa said. On Thursday, MSF accused the Congolese government of failing to contain the epidemic because of an overly militarized response that was alienating patients and their families.