What would Burundi gain by covering up COVID-19 cases?
Briefing Issue #64, Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Dear Readers,
Tonight, Burundi has Confirmed the first two cases of COVID-19. Health Minister Thadée Ndikumana says the 2 Patients are Burundi Citizens Aged 56 and 42 who arrived in the Country from Rwanda and Dubai.
Early today, I stumbled upon the Human Rights Watch communiqué by Lewis Mudge, the Central Africa Director at Human Rights Watch, focusing on Burundi, the Central African Republic, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Rwanda.
In this communiqué, Mr. Lewis accused Burundi to have been failing to communicate fact-based information on how severe, contagious, and challenging this virus is, citing “Burundi’s usual denial and deflection approach to crisis management ignores painful lessons learned elsewhere about the outbreak”
Apparently, Mr. Lewis and his organization were irritated by the statement of President Pierre Nkurunziza’s spokesperson who recently said: “Burundi is an exception because it is a country that has put God first.” Adding to that the government statement dated March 25, 2020, that reiterated “only the grace of God has protected Burundi” from COVID-19.
I agree with the reminder stating that “when imposing quarantines, governments need to ensure they respect their obligation to guarantee access to adequate food, water, and health care to everyone within their territory, without discrimination”. But beyond that, I have a few questions that emerged reading the communiqué.
How can Burundi be able to cover up COVID-19 cases, what is there to gain?
We all know that Burundi is not the first country in the East Africa Community with the strongest Health infrastructures, and that is clear even Burundi officials won’t deny it. But that didn’t stop the Burundi government and partners to get ready since February to face the Corona Virus. Here is the view of WHO representative in Burundi we quoted in our Briefing Issue #58
“The WHO Representative in Burundi reassures; as Burundi was rather ahead in the preparation against the Ebola Virus Disease, it already has certain achievements which allow the country to be a little more prepared for another public health emergency like the new coronavirus. "WHO will continue to support the country so that it can prepare itself better and better. "He declares.”
Let us look closer to the statement “Burundi is an exception because it is a country that has put God first.” Even though it is clear that this comment was taken out of its context, it is not the first time nor the last to hear it from Burundi officials, in fact, this statement was in the slogan of the Kingdom of Burundi for centuries, even before the colonial period. In a country where almost 95% of the population believes in God, politicians have been using such sentences over and over again.
If HRW sees naivety in “only the grace of God has protected Burundi from COVID-19” statement by Burundi government, it becomes confusing and unclear whether HRW is well informed about what is happening in Burundi.
Burundi and its officials are aware that COVID-19 is dangerous, and I am sure It would be very hard to hide any positive cases because this virus is not Malaria nor Cholera. No single person among Burundi officials is immunized against it. So, why would they take the risk? I may be wrong but I think that everyone is concerned and aware of how deadly the COVID-19 is.
What every Burundian knows and therefore expect
1.Burundi confirmed the first two COVID-19 positive cases. The important question, in my opinion, is this: Is Burundi be ready for the pandemic? It is difficult to say but I have a lot of doubts. When I see how superpower countries such as the USA, Italy, China were hit, it is rational to expect the worse.
But, at the same time, there is no need for the HRW to say that Burundi is failing to communicate fact-based information on how severe, contagious, and challenging this virus is. Before the two cases, there was nothing to communicate.
Now that there are cases, a follow-up will be necessary and accompanying measures will demonstrate the readiness of the Burundi government in the fight against the pandemic.
2.Burundi Elections will take place in May 2020 and the only question that remains is whether politicians will be responsible enough to avoid using the massive political rallies during the electoral campaigns.
If by the end of April 2020 there are less than 100 COVID-19 positive cases, some analysts believe that electoral campaigns will still be happening as planned.
3.Burundi still has room to implement better solutions to reduce COVID-19 impact on its population, but being one of the poorest countries in the world and under sanctions, it will take more than a communiqué or a simple awareness campaign to respond to the pandemic.
There is a need for tough measures in order curb the contagious effects of the COVID-19.
4.Millions of Burundians are poor, many are hungry, thousands are living in precarious conditions in Rwanda, Tanzania, and DRC refugee camps. The measures to halt the progression of the pandemic will make their conditions even harder than they are now.
Therefore, instead of reading a communiqué that links 2015 Nkurunziza’s decision to run for a controversial third term to COVID-19, Burundian would be more grateful to see an organization such as HRW use their network to call for solidarity and gather resources that can be used to help Burundians refugees in camps.
Indeed, how human would it be to see an HRW’s campaign to fund sanitary quarantine conditions in Burundi?
The challenges ahead
“The Burundian government needs to protect people’s health and welfare, and any interventions should be in line with international human rights standards,” Mudge said.
The big challenge now for Burundi, is how to stay safe without installing a climate of fear? How to allow Burundians who live one day at a time to stay safe out of a total lockdown?
“It’s critically important for the authorities to ensure unfettered access to humanitarian organizations in this time of crisis.”
As ironic this Lewis Mudge’s statement may sound, I agree with him. Challenges ahead require huge efforts in solidarity, dialogue, and coordination.
However, this will not be possible if every event becomes an opportunity for civil society and human rights organizations to slam public deployed efforts and measures.
Implying that the Burundi government would cover up existing COVID-19 cases is the least responsible and inhuman statement “that a potential partner” could make. Actually, in the context of Burundi as anywhere else, it is simply impossible to cover up things when people are contaminated or dying on a daily basis. How could that be possible?
Wishing well to all those who face COVID-19 effects today, once again I borrow this beautiful paragraph from HRW:
“The authorities should ensure that their response to COVID-19 includes prevention and treatment measures, with particular attention to measures reducing overcrowding in detention centers and camps, improving sanitation and access to health care, and ensuring the use of time-bound quarantines and isolation only if strictly necessary”.
Stay safe.
Fabrice Iranzi
Editor, RegionWeek.com
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