Mugabe mulls withdrawing troops from Ebola hit Liberia

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe speaking during the 31st Independence celebrations. PHOTO | AFP 

By KITSEPILE NYATHI
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Zimbabwe is contemplating withdrawing its police officers and soldiers on the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission in Liberia, fearing they would contract the Ebola virus.......................................

 

Liberia, alongside Guinea, Sierra Leone and Nigeria, are some of the West African countries hard hit by the outbreak of the deadly disease.

According to the World Health Organisation, 900 people have died out of the 1,323 that were infected by the virus since February.

President Robert Mugabe told a meeting of his Zanu PF party on Wednesday that he had told his Health minister David Parirenyatwa to consider bringing back home all Zimbabweans in Liberia.

CHANGE OF MIND

“We have our people serving with the UN units in Liberia. Are they safe? We need to take precautions,” he said.

“Let us not expose ourselves. Even when we withdraw our people, the question is, have they not been affected by disease already,” he said.

President Mugabe said Dr Parirenyatwa was initially reluctant to recall the soldiers and police officers.

“The minister of health said no, let us wait a bit because we have just sent a doctor to go and help,” he said.

“But this morning (Wednesday) he said he had a re-thought about the matter, perhaps we should withdraw our people there.”

The 90 year-old leader said he was surprised to learn that some Zimbabweans were deployed to guard prisons in Liberia.

ON HIGH ALERT

“These (people) don’t just include police officers … I hear we even have prison officers serving in Liberia, I wonder why we send prison officers to serve in other countries? But perhaps the information may not be that accurate,” he said.

“We must not expose ourselves unnecessarily.

“I hope those who will be from there if we withdraw them will be people who will not carry the Ebola virus, for now we have been safe in our region.”

Last week, Dr Parirenyatwa said Zimbabwe was on high alert following the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa.