Sierra Leone marks low-key independence day

CHARTS OUT A ‘POST-EBOLA PLAN’ TO PUT THE COUNTRY ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY

Sierra Leone marked the 54th anniversary of its independence yesterday by setting out a four-point “post-Ebola plan” to put the devastated country on the road to recovery from the deadly epidemic.

Almost 4,000 deaths have been registered since the epidemic spread from Guinea a year ago, although health authorities admit the real toll could be significantly higher.

“Today, we cannot celebrate our independence anniversary as we used to, as the nation is in mourning,” President Ernest Bai Koroma said in a nationwide televised address to mark the anniversary.

“The Ebola outbreak has been very tragic for the nation and many of our compatriots have died. Ebola is a war against our very humanity and many of our doctors, nurses and health workers have fallen in the midst of the battle.”

Koroma said government strategy would focus on “health, education, social protection and economic recovery through private sector development” to drive the country’s rehabilitation.

He added that the government would set aside a national day of “thanksgiving” to honour the victims of the epidemic, which has claimed around 11,000 lives in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.

The former British colony gained independence as a constitutional monarchy within the Commonwealth on April 27, 1961, staging elections a month later which saw Sir Milton Margai become its first prime minister.

Largely unmarked

Independence Day, normally a public holiday marked by events throughout the country, began largely unmarked, with no official programme of festivities and its annual civic honours ceremony called off.

Freetown was bustling as usual but there were was no sign of celebration, with public gatherings still banned under emergency Ebola laws.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recorded 3,877 deaths in Sierra Leone, although the country has been making strides in beating the epidemic, reporting just a handful of new cases a week since earlier this year.

More than 10,000 volunteers have been going doorto-door over the last four days providing vaccinations and other preventive medication to 1.5 million under-fives for measles and other illnesses.