ABIDJAN: With Botswana’s head of state and Ivory Coast’s prime minister in self-quarantine and plenty of authorities ministers contaminated throughout the continent, African politicians have instantly discovered themselves on the coronavirus entrance line.
Their plight has triggered little sympathy on social media, the place many notice that in Africa, illness is often an issue for the poor, not the rich and influential.
“People say this (coronavirus) is the disease of the global elites,” mentioned Ivorian political scientist Jean Alabro.
“People who travel or are in contact with such people are the most affected — in the early days, in any case. In Africa, that means politicians.” “Nobody is spared by this virus — it infects heads of state, government ministers and members of parliament … (and) ordinary citizens,” mentioned Ablasse Ouedraogo, a Burkina opposition determine.
Ivory Coast Prime Minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly, who plans to face in a presidential election in October, introduced on Twitter that he had positioned himself in voluntary confinement “after being in contact with a person declared positive.” A supply near the Ivorian authorities mentioned a dozen “senior figures” have gone into self-isolation.
In Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast’s northern neighbour, Thursday’s cupboard assembly was held by video-conference to guard President Roch Marc Christian Kabore from an infection.
The precaution got here after the demise of the second deputy speaker of the nationwide meeting, Rose-Marie Compaore, and the an infection of {Foreign Minister} Alpha Barry and no fewer than six different ministers.
Revealed in Daybreak, March 28th, 2020
