I wouldn't be too surprised if it really was a planned way of eradicating a large portion of the African population by one major country or another, for the purpose of annexation and colonization.. Or at the very least, to waltz in and offer a vaccine/cure after a good chunk of people have died and at least for the immediate future, guarantee good ties with them for the next decade or so.. again, allowing that country to come in and pursue its own expanse.
Most people don't realize just how big Africa is..
There's a lot of space there that the Big 3 probably look at and give that greedy little smirk.. If only there was a way to wipe out the relatively small population that resides there.. Hmmm...