Coronavirus: Africa faces the pandemic on Friday, April 17

Text by: RFI Follow

Africa had this Friday, April 17, 18,792 confirmed cases of coronavirus. The Covid-19 has already claimed the lives of 967 people on the continent, according to the African Union Center for Disease Prevention and Control. Egypt is the most affected country with 2,673 cases, followed by South Africa, Morocco and Algeria. Then come Cameroon, Tunisia, Ivory Coast and Ghana.

Publicity

• In Senegal, controversy over the transport of food aid

More than 145,000 tonnes of rice are distributed by the Senegalese authorities to the most vulnerable households during the coronavirus crisis. But the controversy mounts on the routing of stocks , the market having been obtained by the company UDS, directed by the businessman and deputy Demba Diop Sy. The activist Guy Marius Sagna denounces a form of "  corona-business  " made possible by the enabling law passed on April 1 allowing Macky Sall to legislate by ordinance and therefore deputies to obtain public contracts without exemption from the National Assembly.

Minister of Community Development Mansour Faye rejects these accusations. “  I don't know Demba Diop Sy. It is the UDE company that I know, which was a tenderer and which actually benefited from a regional transport quota.  "

In an interview broadcast this Friday evening by RFI and France 24, President Macky Sall also announced that a steering committee will be set up in the country. It will be chaired by an independent figure and Parliament, the opposition and civil society will be represented. "  Everything will be extremely clear and transparent in Senegal, not only on aid, but also on support for the diaspora and support for the economic resilience of businesses,  " said the Senegalese president.

► Read also, the interview with Macky Sall: "A wider curfew, but no confinement" in Senegal

• President Paul Biya breaks rumors of his absence

After an extended absence of several weeks, Cameroonian President Paul Biya reappeared publicly this Thursday , April 16 , during a meeting with the French ambassador, Christophe Guilhou. Cutting off speculation that was rife about his health. A mid-afternoon tweet announced the meeting. “  I have just received the Ambassador of France. On the menu of our exchange, the management of the Covid-19 pandemic in Cameroon, in France and in the world  ”, writes the Cameroonian president. A few hours later, the video of this hearing was broadcast on national television. With this little comment from the ambassador on the steps of the presidential palace: "  I found him alert, as always  ".

🇨🇲🇫🇷 I have just received at the Palace of Unity, the French Ambassador to Cameroon, Christophe Guilhou. On the menu for our exchange this afternoon: managing the COVID-19 pandemic in Cameroon, France and the world. # PaulBiya # COVID19 # Covid19Cmr # Cameroon pic.twitter.com/5jN7T8Bovt

The Cameroonian authorities have also indicated yesterday evening the extension of the closure of schools and universities. The start of the school year is now scheduled for June 1. A calendar likely to be readjusted according to the evolution of the epidemic in the country.

• Coronavirus Could Lead to 27 Million Africans in Extreme Poverty

The UN Economic Commission on Africa is releasing a report this Friday on the economic consequences of the coronavirus crisis on the continent. Experts estimate that 27 million people could fall into extreme poverty due to the global health crisis. To help African countries cope with the situation, the Commission calls for the immediate establishment of a $ 100 billion protection system.

Africa is particularly vulnerable to the spread of the epidemic due to its demography, says the report: 56% of the urban population lives in overcrowded slums, and only 34% of households have access to basic hygiene products to wash your hands. Without any protective measures, the epidemic could, according to experts, cause the death of 300,000 people on the continent. 

• Human Rights Watch concerned about conditions of prisoners in DRC

Despite the release of nearly 2,000 prisoners by the Congolese authorities since the start of the health crisis, the human rights NGO Human Rights Watch regrets insufficient measures to ensure the safety of detainees in the face of the epidemic of coronavirus. "We  will have to release several thousand more detainees for the impact to be real," said Lewis Mudge, its director for Central Africa. 71% of prisoners in the Congo have never been tried or are still in pre-trial detention, it's incredible.  "

Human Rights Watch also denounces the conditions of detention of prisoners, while visits from families and lawyers have been prohibited.
"  We understand the concerns of possible virus transmission, but this cannot work in a context where prisoners depend completely on meals brought by families. Even in times of a pandemic, detainees must be able to communicate with their lawyers. The government must quickly think of solutions for making phones available, for example,  ”said Lewis Mudge. 

• Civil society denounces violence during curfew in several countries

In Congo-Brazzaville , a curfew was introduced on March 31, but for the past few days, traders have been denouncing the looting of their stores. Some suspect that the police are responsible. “ There are many cases of theft. In the Ngamakosso district, in front of shops that have been broken into, we found the footprints of the rangers. When the police were present, everyone was in his house watching the curfew. So ! Who stole ? "Denounces a shopkeeper on condition of anonymity. Prime Minister Clément Mouamba, for his part, declared that any agent responsible for burglaries would be immediately struck off.

Also in Togo , the cities of Lomé and Sokodé are subject to a curfew from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. But police blunders are regularly denounced by the population. The collective of associations against impunity in Togo wishes to file a complaint. "  We can tell you that these burrs are proven. We remain hopeful that justice will do its job and that these people will be able to answer for their actions. In all cases, the Minister of Security reassured the population : these acts of violence and blunders will not go unpunished and the perpetrators will be condemned  , "said Me Claude Kokou Amégan, the president of the collective.

In Gabon , the army was called in to help police and gendarmes enforce the curfew in the capital Libreville and its surroundings. From 7:30 p.m. to 6 a.m., no one is allowed to circulate in the streets. Our correspondent followed a patrol during an evening. 

► Also read: Confinement in Gabon: with a patrol responsible for enforcing the curfew

• In Guinea, President Alpha Condé worries about the management of the crisis

During a meeting at the presidential palace with the medical profession, the ANSS (national health security agency) and the WHO, President Alpha Condé expressed his anger over the management of the crisis in Guinea. "  We are not being told the truth, sincerely, and our situation will get worse. We must put all our medical forces into action, so that it is no longer just a group. All the people who can work, we have to put them to work. Otherwise, we are going towards a disaster. We started with one case, then two, then three, and today we are at 400 cases ! The way we manage is not good,  ”said Alpha Condé during the meeting. In Guinea, 438 people tested positive for the coronavirus, and the virus claimed one life.

• In the Central African Republic, concerns over the management of funds dedicated to the coronavirus

The Opposition Coalition and other personalities question the use and management of aid funds from international institutions allocated to the fight against Covid-19. "Does the State intend to set up a structure supposed to manage all these donations correctly and fairly? Will these sums be used in a common fund set up to help throughout the territory or will it be used for electoral purposes? So yes, we remain vigilant, ”says deputy Jean-Pierre Mara. 

• Inmates from thirty establishments in Algeria mobilized for the manufacture of masks

The Algerian prison administration decided to "  open sewing workshops for the making of 200,000 masks by prisoners from 30 penitentiary establishments across the country, in order to meet their own needs and those of the courts  ", said director general of prison administration Faiçal Bourbala on Thursday evening to the official press agency APS. Prisoners will participate in these workshops on a voluntary basis.

Faiçal Bourbala also announced the imminent launch of a second operation “  including the making of protective suits and coveralls for medical personnel, before proceeding with the manufacture of disinfection booths, planned at three establishments.  "

To date, no case of coronavirus has been recorded among the 58,000 detainees in Algerian prisons. To limit the spread of the disease in penal establishments, the Minister of Justice notably suspended visits to the families of prisoners and ordered the quarantine of all new detainees for a period of 14 days. 

• 142 people tried for violence during confinement in Nigeria

This Friday, 142 people accused of murder, burglary, illegal possession of weapons and disturbances of the peace were brought before a court in Ogun State. The suspects are notably accused of having terrorized residents and motorists during armed robberies, according to police spokesman Abimbola Oyeyemi. "  They also violated the government's containment order by moving in without permission,  " he said.
In Nigeria, total containment has been imposed in several localities, including Lagos, Ogun State and the federal capital Abuja. Thursday evening, the state of Kano was in turn confined, for a period of seven days. 

• Oby Ezekwesili says China must compensate Africa

Former vice president of the Africa division of the World Bank, Obiageli "Oby" Ezekwesili asked in a column published by the Washington Post that China should take responsibility for the global coronavirus crisis. For the Nigerian, also co-founder of the NGO Transparency International, the Chinese authorities, who "  failed to manage  the health crisis in a transparent and efficient manner ", must now compensate the African countries.

"  China must be responsible by recognizing its lack of transparency on the Covid-19. The government must establish a panel of independent experts to assess its response to the pandemic. China and the rest of the G20 member countries must also enter into discussions with the African Union to establish reparations measures. It is time that the richest economies show themselves capable of acting for the good of the poorest and most vulnerable. China has to pay,  ”writes Oby Ezekwesili in this column.

• Khartoum governor dismissed in Sudan

The governor of Khartoum was dismissed by Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok on Thursday. He said he refused to ban gatherings for prayers in mosques and churches. Sudanese officials announced earlier today that the capital will be confined to three weeks on Saturday. 

• Containment suspended in Malawi by court order

The confinement, which was to begin this Saturday April 18 for a period of three weeks in Malawi, was suspended by a court decision this Friday late afternoon. The HRDC (Coalition for the Defense of Human Rights) had filed an appeal for this suspension, denouncing the lack of measures taken by the government to help the most vulnerable cope with the economic impact of the confinement.

Since Thursday, traders have been protesting in several cities across the country against confinement. On their placards, they express their fear of not being able to feed their families any more: "  Containment is more toxic than the coronavirus  ", or "  We prefer to die from the coronavirus rather than die of hunger  ", they write. 

• Footballer El-Hadji Diouf distributes health supplies in Senegal

Many African sportsmen and in particular footballers are mobilizing to help their country to fight against the pandemic and its effects. This is the case of Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto'o, Sadio Mané or El-Hadji Diouf. The 2001 and 2002 African Golden Ball supports the Senegalese population, in particular through donations of sanitary materials. “  My wife went to underprivileged areas to give gel, masks and soap. Containment today is very hard in African countries, because Africans live day to day. But we must congratulate the Senegalese, because they have all understood, the Senegalese population is playing the game,  "the footballer told RFI.

• African billionaires participate in the fight against the pandemic, but at the national level

During the Ebola epidemic, African billionaires had largely contributed to funding the African Union effort. But this time, the donations of tens of millions of dollars already announced are intended only for national funds. This is the case, for example, in Nigeria, where a private sector coalition against the Covid-19, led by Dangote and the banking group Access Bank, has pledged nearly $ 57 million for the country.

The African Union has created a special fund, with the objective of raising $ 400 million. It should be used to finance the health response as a priority, then the savings. But according to a source within the pan-African organization, most of the wealthy are content for the moment to communicate on possible pledges, not yet materialized. 

Our selection on SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus

• Listen to Coronavirus Info , daily chronicle on the pandemic

• Explanation:  The origins of the Covid-19

• Analyzes:
→ What strategies to face the epidemic ?
→ What impact on conflict zones?

• Practical questions:
→ What we know about the mode of contagion
→ How do we treat the sick ?
→ What results for the ongoing clinical trials?
→ How the Institut Pasteur hopes to find a vaccine
→ How to make a mask and use it well

Find all our articles, reports, chronicles and programs on the coronavirus by clicking here .

See also the files of RFI Savoirs  on the Covid-19:
• Birth of a pandemic
• Everyday life to the test
•  The history of epidemics

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