Saliou Samb

The declaration by authorities was met with mixed emotions, the memory of the virus that has left more than 2 500 people dead still too fresh.

The World Health Organisation declared the situation "serious" when new cases surfaced after officials thought they had contained the virus.

Mining firms have locked down operations in Guinea and pulled out some international staff as the death toll from suspected Ebola cases hit 83.

Guinea on Wednesday postponed a presidential election run-off due in four days, casting doubt on the country's bid to return to civilian rule.

Guinea's junta has pledged to pave the way for a return to civilian rule and said that leader Moussa Dadis Camara would need time to recover.

The Niger river snakes through nine countries in West Africa before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean. It is an epic 4 200km in length, provides sustenance to millions of people -- and has trouble brewing at its source. In the Faranah region of central Guinea where the river begins, small islands of sand have formed in the bed of the Niger, prompting a decline in fishing and harvests.