It is indeed very good news that all three Mano River Union countries (Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone) are now free of the dreaded Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). The sister republic of Guinea was the last to do so just a few days ago. That was a great New Year gift from Professor Alpha Conde’s country.
Now the three countries, whose heads of state get on very well, are now truly ready for business without fearing a resurgence of the epidemic that put many development efforts on hold and depleted and mauled their fragile economies.
Movement of people and goods will now be accelerated although screening and preventive measures against the disease will still go on for at least some time this year or beyond.
One thing that came out of the Ebola nightmare is that people in all three countries now realize the absolute necessity to consider each other’s problems as part of their problems; that what affects one, affects all. I also noticed more friendliness and unity among Liberians, Sierra Leoneans and Guineans who share many things including languages and cultures. They seem to consider each other today, after the Ebola scourge, not as foreigners, but as brothers and sisters of one family, the African family.
That is how it should be.
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