US Clears DR Congo World Cup Squad Despite Ebola Travel Ban

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States plans to make sure the Democratic Republic of Congo squad can enter the country for the World Cup, despite Ebola-related restrictions affecting recent travellers from the central African nation, a US official said Tuesday.

A senior State Department official, speaking anonymously, said Washington expects the DRC team to be present for the tournament.

Under current rules, non-US citizens are barred from entering the United States if they have spent time in the DRC, Uganda or South Sudan within the past 21 days. The measure was put in place because of the deadly Ebola outbreak.

The official said DR Congo, the only country among the three to qualify for football’s biggest competition, had already been preparing in Europe. That could mean the squad would not fall under the travel restriction.

If any members of the team were in DR Congo during the 21-day window, they would not face an outright refusal of entry, the official said. Instead, they would undergo tough checks similar to those required for returning US citizens.

“We’re working to get them into the same protocol for testing in isolation that American citizens returning and permanent residents would be,” the official said.

The arrangement will not be extended to regular DR Congo supporters hoping to travel to the United States to back the team, the official added.