India-Africa summit postponed as Ebola spreads to M23-held DR Congo area

Key points

• Efforts to stop the latest outbreak of the deadly disease have been hampered by armed conflict in eastern DR Congo and foreign aid cuts.
• The ⁠African Union and India have postponed the ⁠India-Africa ⁠Forum Summit scheduled for next week in New Delhi, due to ⁠the “evolving health situation in parts of Africa”.
• India’s Ministry of External Affairs made the announcement on Thursday as health officials in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are battling a growing Ebola disease outbreak.
• The decision was made in recognition of “the importance of ensuring the full participation and engagement of African leaders and stakeholders, and mindful of the emerging public health situation on the continent,” the joint statement said.
• The announcement comes as the first Ebola case was confirmed in the DR Congo’s South Kivu province, an area controlled by the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, the group’s spokesman said on Thursday.