Coronavirus: interrogations of a Senegalese student confined to Wuhan

So far the thirteen Senegalese students trapped in Wuhan are healthy, but by dint of being locked in their university rooms, their morale is affected. This is what France 24, Thursday, February 6, confided to Amar Mbacké, representative of the Senegalese Students' Association of China in Wuhan, the Chinese cradle of the coronavirus epidemic, put under cover since January 22.

"All we can do is stay confined and wait," says the doctoral student in international relations at the Central Normal University of China in Wuhan for 2 years. In a statement, the Senegalese students' association of China asked for the urgent repatriation of students from Wuhan who "live in very difficult conditions with a risk of constant contagion and their liberty confiscated". "This feeling of insecurity and psychosis weighs heavily on their heads," said the statement issued on Sunday.

Press release from the Association of Senegalese Students in China concerning our compatriots in Wuhan #coronavirus # RtAppreciés #kebetu pic.twitter.com/CF9sckjZ91

"We have the feeling of not being properly informed"

Meanwhile, Senegalese President Macky Sall replied in the negative, deeming Tuesday "out of reach" for his country the repatriation of these students, for lack of logistical means to transport and welcome them safely. "This does not reassure us. A head of state is supposed to be looking for solutions, he cannot say that he is forfeiting," reacts the representative of the Senegalese students from Wuhan.

"Contrary to what the president said in his speech, we know that students from other African countries have been repatriated," added Amar Mbacké. Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Mauritania have indeed succeeded in bringing back their stranded compatriots to Wuhan.

"For my part, things are going pretty well, but some of the Senegalese students with whom I am in regular contact are really starting to get stressed. They are confused and afraid of the unknown," continues Amar Mbacké. "We do not know when this epidemic will end and we have the feeling that we are not being informed properly," he said.

Daily masks, gloves and phone calls to reassure yourself

Luckily, Amar Mbacké and his Senegalese compatriots had taken the lead and made reserves of protective masks. "I bought enough to throw them away after each use, and the university provided me with dozens, as well as thermometers," reports the young thirties. Thanks to this equipment, the student can go out shopping every two or three days.

In the supermarkets around the university, he did not find a shortage, but took precautions: "I buy basic food products, but I avoid going to restaurants or buying prepared meals, you never know. " Not all of his compatriots have the luck of Amar Mbacké, because some universities welcoming Senegalese do not allow out of campus trips. They organize the provisioning in the rooms and the students remain confined.

The only way to be reassured, Senegalese students call each other every day. "We are in constant contact with each other and with the embassy, ​​which phones us daily," said the student representative in Wuhan.

Back to school postponed

For this doctoral student, there is no question of leaving China once the coronavirus epidemic has been eradicated. "I will do anything to get my doctorate," said Amar Mbacké, who received a scholarship to study in Wuhan. Holder of a first doctorate in Dakar, he wanted to continue his studies in China to master the language, a major asset in Senegal, where Beijing represents the second trading partner behind France, with exchanges amounting to nearly 3 billion euros in 2018.

If the coronavirus epidemic represents a risk to his health, it also distances him from his professional objective. For the moment the resumption of classes at his university has been postponed for a week, but it could still be postponed, fears the young man.

As the epidemic spreads, other Senegalese students may be affected by the containment measures, particularly in Shanghai, where around 40 of them live. In China, more than 28,000 people are now infected with the coronavirus and 563 people have died while an increasing number of cities are imposing drastic containment measures on the inhabitants.

The France 24 week summary invites you to come back to the news that marked the week

Download the app