Rwanda has been included on a list of eight African countries whose nationals face entry restrictions in El Salvador over Ebola concerns, despite no reported cases of the disease in Rwanda.
El Salvador’s Ministry of Health announced the restrictions on Tuesday under Official Letter No. 2026-6000-055, declaring nationals and travellers from the affected countries inadmissible.
The countries listed are Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic (CAR), the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. The restrictions reportedly apply to travellers arriving from or transiting through the listed countries, as well as their nationals.
The Rwandan Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) maintain that Rwanda has no reported Ebola cases.
The decision has drawn attention because it includes countries without reported cases of the disease.
The restrictions gained wider attention after CNN journalist Larry Madowo, a Kenyan national, said El Salvador had denied his application for a special entry permit.
In a post on social media on Tuesday, October 20, Madowo questioned the decision to impose restrictions on several East and Central African countries, including those without reported Ebola cases.
“El Salvador denied my visa because Kenya reported 8 Ebola cases even though authorities in Nairobi maintain that there’s no widespread outbreak. El Salvador has banned citizens of DRC and random neighboring East & Central African countries — including many without any cases,” he wrote.
An official denial document reportedly confirmed that Madowo’s application had been rejected under the directive signed by Dr Francisco José Alabi Montoya, El Salvador’s Minister of Health.
As of the time of writing, the Government of Rwanda had not issued a public statement specifically addressing El Salvador’s decision.
Ebola concerns across the region
El Salvador’s decision comes amid concerns about the spread of Ebola in parts of Africa.
Kenya has reportedly confirmed eight cases, including the first patient, who died after travelling from the DRC. Four relatives of the patient, three health workers and a hospital cleaner were subsequently reported to have tested positive.
Nigeria also reportedly confirmed its first Ebola case on Wednesday, October 21, raising further concerns about the spread of the disease.
According to Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the woman arrived on a flight from Uganda, began showing symptoms on October 7 and was admitted to a private hospital in Abuja on October 11 before being diagnosed.
Uganda’s Director General of Health Services, Professor Charles Olaro, said the woman had travelled through the country without showing symptoms. He added that investigations into possible exposure were ongoing.
Ugandan authorities also stated that there were no active Ebola cases in the country.
How Rwanda is preparing for Ebola
Rwanda has maintained that it has no reported Ebola cases and continues to monitor developments in the region.
Following reported outbreaks in the eastern DRC, Rwanda’s health authorities said the country remained on high alert, monitoring the situation in coordination with international public health bodies.
The government has emphasised preparedness and surveillance as part of its response to the regional threat.
The latest outbreak in the DRC has raised concerns about cross-border transmission, putting neighbouring countries on alert. However, the inclusion of countries without reported cases in El Salvador’s restrictions has raised questions about how the measures were determined.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified the Bundibugyo virus species as the cause of the outbreak. The disease is relatively rare, and there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment for it, although research and clinical trials are ongoing.
