A conference which was expected to bring hundreds of black mayors from around the world to Bermuda has been postponed until next year due to the Ebola crisis.

The US-based Conference of Black Mayors (CBM) has been put back to next year.

A statement released by the Corporation of Hamilton this afternoon said: “Following discussions with US, African and Caribbean delegates, the Atlanta based Conference of Black Mayors, together with the Corporation of Hamilton, Bermuda, have decided to move the CBM Black Mayors Convention from November, 2014 to the first available date of next year.

“In making the announcement today, the CBM Chief Executive, Vanessa Williams, said that several African nations — including Nigeria, Uganda, Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, Rwanda, Ghana, South Africa, and Kenya — were among countries sending major delegations to the event which was originally planned to be held on November 12-16, 2014.”

A number of US, Caribbean and Latin American Mayors had suggested that the conference be moved to a later date so as to enable the African delegates to take part.

Ms Williams said: “Their travel plans had been dramatically altered by the Ebola crisis and they are simply unable to join us. Their participation was to be a highlight of our convention and they would have been sorely missed.

“There is now enormous solidarity among delegates for the government and the people of these nations affected by this deadly disease. Many feel, I am sure, that but for the grace of God, it could be their cities and they know that they would have the support of their African brethren.”

The Deputy Mayor of the City of Hamilton Donal Smith, who is Chairman of the local organising committee, said that the event’s move to next year would enable delegates to regroup and stage an even better event.

He added: “We shall hopefully have celebrated the end of the Ebola crisis which has prevented our African brethren to be able to travel freely to join us in Bermuda.”

Hamilton Mayor Graeme Outerbridge said several of the African government leaders who had attended President Obama’s initiative — the US/African Conference in Washington in July — were anxious to come to Bermuda to join their peers from the US, Latin American and Caribbean.

He said: “They were coming to discuss ways to generate investment in much needed infrastructure.

“They were to join us to exchange views on the many problems that confront all Mayors in the US and around the world.

“The need to grow jobs, to increase national security and to deal with the vexing issues surrounding immigration and a thousand other things.”