Coronavirus: 5 new cases in Senegal, concern about the Kazu Rajab planned in Touba

Text by: RFI Follow

Five new cases of coronavirus were confirmed Thursday March 12 in Senegal. They are family members of the Senegalese national who returned from Italy last week, residing in Touba. Touba is the holy city of the Mourides religious brotherhood, the second locality in the country in number of inhabitants. It is to host an important religious gathering next week (March 22). So far, neither the authorities nor the religious leaders have announced a postponement or cancellation. But these new cases reopen the debate.

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With our correspondent in Dakar , Charlotte Idrac

End of prayer at the Mouride mosque in the Grand Dakar district. The faithful are preparing the rally for the "Kazu Rajab", scheduled for March 22 in Touba. This tribute commemorates the anniversary of the birth of the second caliph of the brotherhood, and attracts tens of thousands of pilgrims.

Mamadou Gningue will go. No question for him to change his plans: “ We want to leave. Even if we have an epidemic all over the world, we have to manage that. We can avoid contact with people. We're going to leave, it's our religion. "

" We have to cancel for this year "

The imam of the mosque, Abdoulaye Seye, regularly reminds the faithful of basic hygiene rules. Anyway, he will follow the "ndiguel", the instruction of the general caliph of the mourides. " We are preparing for the rally. We mourides follow the "ndiguel". As the Prophet said, when there are illnesses, the marabout knows what it is good to do . ”

But other Mourid faithful, more discreetly, are worried about the spread of the virus. Like this man, who prefers to remain anonymous. " With the problems we have right now, I think we have to cancel for this year. "

A position shared by the director of Amnesty International Senegal. Seydi Gassama calls on the authorities to have " the courage to ask the religious leaders to cancel or postpone all the big events to come ".

#Senegal # COVID19: The state must have the courage to ask the religious leaders to cancel or postpone all the large rallies planned for this month of March. In most of the states fighting this virus these measures are already in force. @Macky_Sall @_DioufSarr

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• Coronavirus
• Senegal
• Health and Medicine
• Religion