By Mustapha Kamara
Chief of defense staff has said that the ministry will continue to deploy military personnel to provide security for Ebola concentrated areas, prevent the further spread of the disease and eventually eradicate it.
Major General Samuel Omar Williams of the of the Sierra Leone Armed Forces, SLFA, told journalists at the recent government’s weekly press briefing in Freetown that they had deployed 1, 195 personnel so far.
He said those soldiers would guide the movements of people nationwide and prevent infected persons from spreading the disease to others.
The military chief also said that their involvement in the containment process of the Ebola Virus Disease started with the isolation of Kailahun and Kenema districts.
“Therefore, in the first place we embarked on manning checkpoints alongside the Sierra Leone Police and we got involved in the provision of security for quarantined homes, treatment centers and he country’s borders”, he said.
He said that RSLAF had also deployed more military personnel in Bombali, Port Loko and Moyamba districts, adding that they had also deployed officers in chiefdoms and villages within the districts already isolated by government to prevent further spread of Ebola.
“We have even sent military doctors and nurses to various treatment centers across the country”, the army chief of staff said, adding that they would continue working with the SLP and other security agencies to contain the movement of Ebola affected persons from quarantined homes and to also control people in isolated places from moving into other parts of the country.
Assistant Inspector General of Police, Al-sheik Kamara, said the SLP would continue to maintain Ebola checkpoints across the country and to assist the ministry of health in implementing safety precautions while maintaining regional incident command centers.
“As a ‘Force for Good’ we are aware of people that may want to create panic or disturb the peace in the country”, the AIG warned, but assured that the SLP would always “keep the peace, protect the lives and properties of Sierra Leoneans”.
He promised that they would continue to provide the security services needed to help in the fight against Ebola in Sierra Leone.
(C) Politico 07/10/14
