by Adekunle Owolabi

Kampala, Uganda – The Trans Africa Tourism and Unity Campaign led by former Ghanaian legislator Ras Mubarak has redirected its 163 day visa free Africa road journey after Ethiopia recorded its first outbreak of Marburg virus disease. The announcement was issued in a press release from Kampala on 19 November 2025.

Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health confirmed the outbreak on 14 November, reporting nine cases in Jinka town in the South Ethiopia Region, with three deaths recorded. The viral haemorrhagic fever is closely related to Ebola and is considered one of the continent’s most dangerous infectious diseases.

The campaign team, endorsed by the Government of Ghana and currently travelling on a continent wide tour promoting Pan African unity and economic integration, had been scheduled to arrive in Addis Ababa on 21 November. Mubarak said the visit had been cancelled due to health and safety concerns for both the team and communities along the route.

He announced that the road journey would now follow an alternative path. The team will move through Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, Namibia, Republic of Congo, Gabon and Cameroon, countries they have already visited earlier in the tour. From there the campaign will proceed to Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Gambia, Senegal, Mauritania and Morocco before returning to Ghana through Mauritania, Senegal, Guinea and Ivory Coast.

Mubarak said the decision was taken to protect the wellbeing of the travelling team and their host nations. He expressed regret to the countries whose scheduled visits had been disrupted and called for cooperation from authorities in the nations where the campaign will transit or stop over as it continues its push for a visa free Africa.

• Adekunle Owolabi is a journalist, political activist, and digital strategist with experience across Africa and the Middle East. He focuses on international diplomacy, promotes digital inclusion, and advocates for a borderless Africa.