MOSCOW, December 11. /TASS/. The leadership of one of the largest political parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Union for Democracy and Social Progress, has asked Russia to help fight an outbreak of the Ebola virus disease, as follows from the Russian Foreign Ministry’s news release issued after a meeting between the special Russian presidential representative for the Middle East and Africa, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and the UDSP leader’s special envoy, Patrick Muanda Congo.

"Patrick Muanda Congo delivered a message from the UDSP leadership containing a request for Russia’s assistance in fighting an outbreak of the Ebola virus disease in eastern areas of the DRC," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

The two sides discussed the internal political situation in the DRC ahead of the presidential election due on December 23. As the Foreign Ministry said, its success may prove a starting point for the process of normalization in the country after several decades of unremitting tensions.

The current outbreak of the Ebola virus disease is a tenth in the DRC. On July 28, the health authorities in North Kivu province warned the Health Ministry of suspicious medical cases and deaths in the Mangina area. Tests confirmed that the Ebola virus was to blame. On August 7, it turned out that the outbreak was caused by Zaire ebolavirus, a particularly dangerous species. In the previous epidemics the mortality rate ranged 25% - 90%.