Nairobi (AFP)

New Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye declared Covid-19 on Tuesday as "the greatest enemy of Burundians", imposing a complete about-face on his country which had so far largely ignored the epidemic.

"I declare the Covid-19 pandemic as the greatest enemy of the Burundians, because it is clear that it has today become their main concern", launched the Head of State after the swearing in of his new government in Bujumbura.

It is an absolute reversal compared to the attitude of his predecessor Pierre Nkurunziza, who died suddenly on June 8, officially of a cardiac arrest, who had estimated that Burundi was protected by "divine grace".

The previous government had not imposed confinement on the 11 million inhabitants, unlike some of its neighbors, and had maintained the general elections of May 20 without imposing measures of social distancing.

Officially, Burundi has identified only 170 cases of Covid-19 for one death. This assessment leaves many doctors skeptical, according to which many cases and deaths of people showing symptoms of the virus have been excluded from these figures.

The Burundians wonder today if Pierre Nkurunziza, who according to a medical source contacted by AFP was in "respiratory distress" at the time of his death, did not himself succumb to this disease.

"We are committed to resolutely fighting this pandemic," insisted Mr. Ndayishimiye, inviting "any Burundian or any foreigner living in Burundi to stand up to fight against the coronavirus".

According to him, this means "strict compliance with the barrier measures that the Ministry of Health will now post everywhere across the country".

He said the government was going to subsidize the price of soap by 50% and lower the price per cubic meter of water until the pandemic was contained. He also recalled that testing and care for the new coronavirus was free.

If in the future someone with the symptoms of the disease is not tested, it will mean "that he wants to infect others voluntarily" and he will then be "considered as a sorcerer and treated as severely as him".

Burundi has only one screening center, which has less than 10 technicians capable of testing for the Covid-19.

The president promised that screening teams would be installed in all regions and that screening campaigns would be launched "wherever positive cases of coronavirus are reported".

This change of course follows a donation of 5 million dollars (4.45 MEUR) from the World Bank in mid-June to help Burundi fight against the coronavirus, a senior ministry official told AFP. of Health, on condition of anonymity.

© 2020 AFP