By Prince Musa in Kenema
In preparation to deploy at strategic locations along the country’s borders, in line with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, a contingent of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) has toured towns and villages in the Kenema District which share border with Corona-affected neighboring Liberia.
The tour, according to officials, is part of the military’s effort to identify porous areas along the border and engage stakeholders to prevent the spillover of the virus.
The military’s move is in line with a declaration by President Julius Maada Bio last week ordering them to coordinate the security aspect of the national response efforts against the virus, also as COVID-19.
Part of the military’s mandate include safeguarding quarantine locations and people. They are also responsible to coordinate border patrols and man checkpoints along Sierra Leone’s land and sea borders.
Sierra Leone shares borders with two countries: Guinea and Liberia, both of which have recorded cases of the virus. Liberia has recorded three confirmed cases, while Guinea has four, as of Tuesday, March 24.
This has left Sierra Leone on the edge to main its zero status.
The military contingent visited four chiefdoms on Saturday: Nomo, Gaura, Koya and Tunkia. Part of the tour also included observing areas where health personnel could be deployed.
During a stop at Mano-jeigbla in Tunkia Chiefdom, the Operations Officer of the Second Infantry Battalion, Major Ibrahim Fofana, said: “We made a joint move to the border communities because of the order received from the Ministry of Defense that we are to strengthen our borders with Liberia".
Speaking about the deployment plan, major Fofanah said: "the first contact place to deploy personnel is Joru (town), Gaura chiefdom. From there, we will move to Perie Fefewabu, which was one of the communities that was badly affected by Ebola.”
Fefawabu lost 17 people to the Ebola outbreak in 2014/15.
Personnel will also be deployed at towns and villages like Tigbama, Kongorhun, Njala, Kanneh-laa, and Nomor Faama. A major smuggling point to Liberia which is Ngegbema in Tunkia Chiefdom will also be secured.
Major Fofana appealed for the support of the people in the chiefdoms for the security forces.
“With the cooperation of the local authorities in those border chiefdoms, I want to assure the people that RSLAF is preparing to protect this country at all times. More especially at this crucial time from Corona virus" he said.
The Chairman of the Kenema District Council, Amadu Sesay, who was part of the tour, praised RSLAF for the move, noting that protecting the border is key to keeping the virus away from the country.
"I want to commend the army for doing extremely well in stopping people from Liberia to Sierra Leone. Ebola came to our country in 2014 with one case but we saw the damages and orphans it left behind," he said.
The town chief of Ngegbaima in Tunkia Chiefdom, Nancy Feika, also thanked the delegation for educating them. She said they were already implementing a range of measures to deal with the virus in their town which included regular hand washing.
Feika said they were also unified in supporting directives aimed at stopping smuggling strangers across the border and keeping them in homes.
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