The return journey of deceased Senegalese expatriates from Covid-19

Text by: Ndiasse Sambe Follow

In France, the Collective for the repatriation of deceased Senegalese bodies from Covid-19 is fighting for the government of their country to lift the ban on the repatriation of deceased expatriates of coronavirus. Dozens of families in France are concerned and are in disarray.

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On this day of April 4, 2020, Nicolas Mendy does not have the head to celebrate the 60 years of independence of Senegal. He has just lost his father, Dionsignou, victim of the coronavirus at the Cochin hospital in Paris. His distress is immense, but it will be even more so when he learns a few days later that he will not be able to bury him in Senegal, homeland of Dionsignou, arrived in France in 1968 to work at Renault until his retirement in 2009.

The French authorities have however established a document for the repatriation of the body, but the Senegalese consulate in France tells Nicolas that the dead of Covid-19 cannot be repatriated to the country, in accordance with a directive from the government. A blow for Nicolas. “  My father's wish was to be buried in Senegal. It is his wish. The whole family is in Senegal, I am their only child in France. I don't see myself burying my father here alone  . ”

"  A second mourning  "

Like Nicolas, several dozen Senegalese families around the world are expecting the decision of their country. In France, at least 45 Senegalese have been declared dead from Covid-19. Many are waiting to be buried in their country of origin. Awa's grandfather is one of them. This 31-year-old nurse is overwhelmed by the emotions of her current job, the loss of her grandfather and now the distress of her grandmother. "  My grandmother doesn't understand why her husband is still not buried ," says Awa with a trembling voice. She wakes up in the middle of the night, she has anxiety attacks. She's tired. The only thing she wants is to bury her husband in Senegal according to her will. Mourning cannot even begin today because you still have the body in your arms. It's horrible, it's torture! It is even a second mourning  ”.

Faced with this situation, Nicolas Mendy decided to lead the fight. He is one of the initiators of the Collective for the repatriation of deceased Senegalese bodies from Covid-19. This association obviously brings together the members of the families of people who died of coronavirus in France - but also in the United States, Italy, or Brazil - and also benefits from the contribution and support of expatriates not necessarily affected by the directive of the Senegalese government. . For Seydina Omar Bâ, the coordinator of the Collective, it is primarily for "a fight in principle". “  The person who buries his loved one must be able to do so in Senegal. We want the State of Senegal to restore this freedom,  "demands the sociologist, who informs that" at  present, 80 Senegalese have died from Covid-19  "around the world.

“  We are not asking for financial aid from our country, insists Nicolas Mendy. We just want a pass for our dead. There is no danger, the bodies are put in an airtight aluminum box and then in a closed wooden coffin. There is no risk of transmission . "

The Minister of Foreign Affairs' appeal

The collective thus denounces the health pretext brandished by the Senegalese State to justify the embargo. Doctor Adama Bâ Faye, resuscitator in a Toulouse clinic, brushes this argument aside about the risk of transmission. "  The Senegalese government brandished a WHO directive to us, but after checking, the latest directive in no way mentions a ban on the repatriation of bodies. Better, the UN organization has even lightened the first directives because now in France, for example, the family can see the body of the deceased and be in the same room. For Muslims, people can even perform the funeral toilet. All this to say that there is no risk for the repatriation of the dead bodies of Covid-19. Otherwise, as a doctor, I would never have defended this thesis. We have sent our medical submissions to the Ministry of Health, but there has still been no response from them.  "

Senegal therefore remains on its position despite the numerous reasoned letters and requests for exemptions. "  Until I speak to you, we have an end of inadmissibility , sorry Seydina Omar Bâ. On April 13, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amadou Bâ, called me on the phone. But for half an hour, he gave me no scientific or medical argument capable of supporting their decision. There are always bodies of repatriated Senegalese, but it is unfair to embargo only on the victims of coronavirus  ”.

Meanwhile, loved ones are between resignation and prayer. Awa, granddaughter of Ousmane, a rifleman from the Algerian war, is angry. “  What hurts me is that this crisis situation is pushing for laxity also in France. Like declaring my grandfather who died of Covid-19 without having done a test that proves it. My grandfather died at home. He was ill and had a general deterioration, but he did not die from Covid-19. The proof, my grandmother with whom he shared his bed was tested negative after. How can we explain this? In the meantime, the fact of having put him in the victims of the coronavirus deprives him of burial in Senegal. It is absurd!  "

Religious leaders solicited

The wait is the daily life of Nicolas Mendy who hopes for a quick and positive decision from the Senegalese government. Because this chief of fire safety does not know if he will be able to continue to pay the 55 euros daily to keep the body of his father in a funeral home. "  In any case, the body can only be kept for three months maximum. The situation will have to settle  . "

If not ? Nicolas will certainly do like Samba Diallo and the friends of Mamadou Ndour, who died of coronavirus at 70 and was buried in the cemetery of Thiais (Ile de France) after days of waiting to obtain a pass. “  Mamadou Ndour had arrived in France for a medical appointment, and finally, he was buried by us his friends, far from his wives and children , testifies Samba Diallo. We had no choice, we do not know how long this crisis will last, so we subscribed to buy him a funeral concession for 30 years at 3,500 euros  ”.

Today, the Collective continues to put pressure on the government by involving opinion leaders in Senegal and especially religious leaders, hoping that with the month of Ramadan in progress the Senegalese authorities will lend a more attentive ear.

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