• DR Congo cancels its Kinshasa training camp due to an Ebola outbreak.
• The team will hold preparations in Belgium instead.
• The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a public health emergency.
• Friendly matches against Denmark and Chile will proceed as planned.
• The outbreak is linked to over 139 deaths and 600 suspected cases.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has canceled its World Cup training camp scheduled in the capital, Kinshasa, due to an ongoing Ebola outbreak in the eastern part of the country. The team’s preparations will now take place in Belgium, while a planned public farewell event featuring President Félix Tshisekedi has also been scrapped. This important decision was made in light of health concerns and travel restrictions set forth by U.S. health authorities, who have prohibited entry for non-citizens from affected regions, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters.

Ebola, specifically the rare Bundibugyo strain, has been declared a "public health emergency of international concern" by the World Health Organization (WHO), with more than 130 reported fatalities and approximately 600 suspected cases linked to the outbreak. Despite this, friendly matches against Denmark and Chile planned for June are expected to continue, as the team prepares for its first World Cup since 1974, according to BBC and Africa News.

The Congolese national team's spokesperson, Jerry Kalemo, noted that while the training camp in Kinshasa is off, the match schedule remains intact, emphasizing that "the change is not very big" as the team had limited time planned back home. All players, many of whom are based in Europe, have already been in training abroad and are not expected to face complications due to the travel bans, according to Reuters, BBC, and Africa News.