Ebola: Liberia soldiers ordered to shoot border crossers

Cape Town – The Liberian armed forces have received orders to shoot any persons crossing into the country from the neighbouring Sierra Leone.

The Daily Observer reports that soldiers are under orders to shoot on sight people who violate President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf’s mandate which has ordered all borders closed as the Ebola virus spreads across the country.

According to the report the Deputy Chief of Staff gave soldiers a direct instruction saying he wants to hear that someone gets a bullet in the leg - that the soldiers first fire a warning shot and then burst their legs.

The Associated Press reported that an Ebola quarantine centre was looted over the weekend, causing 30 patients to flee into surrounding areas.

Despite having tracked down some of the patients, the incident has highlighted Liberia’s struggle with the Ebola outbreak.

So far the virus has killed 1 145 of the more than 2 000 people in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.