Rwandan President Kagame calls for lifting of sanctions against Zimbabwe. This comes as coronavirus cases in Zimbabwe on Saturday increased by 14 to 279, including four deaths and 33 recoveries.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame has called for the review and consideration of sanctions against two African countries, Zimbabwe and Sudan, to support their ability to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Kagame was speaking at the first Extraordinary Intercessional Summit of Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States on Friday. The meeting was chaired by Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and held through video conference.
Kagame said that while the effects of Covid-19 could persist for long even after the virus has been defeated, increased cooperation and mutual interdependence would guarantee the effectiveness of the international response.
“Effects of Covid-19 will persist long after the virus is defeated and the road to recovery will belong. Increased cooperation and mutual interdependence will be the hallmark of the effective international response,” he said,
With the uncertainty of how long the pandemic and its consequent disruptions would last, the response capacity of many African, Caribbean and the Pacific States require reinforcement.
“In this context, it is important for African, Caribbean and Pacific States to cooperate closely on measures to end the pandemic and enhance economic resilience. In particular, coordination will be needed to ensure equitable access to treatment, vaccines and medical supplies,” he said.
Among notable aspects of existing cooperation include the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention whose input has been visible in improving testing capacities as well as the African Union, which is coordinating advocacy efforts as countries seek fiscal space to respond effectively.
In this context, Kagame called for lifting of sanctions against Sudan and Zimbabwe in order to support their ability to respond to the health crisis. Kagame said that the ongoing negotiations to define the next phase of the relationship between the OACP States and the European Union should not be derailed by the pandemic.
The talks, which would result to the Post-Cotonou agreement, he said ought to reflect the new realities of the changes in OACP’s social and economic development. “At the same time, we should seize this opportunity to ensure that the prevention and recovery measures under discussion here are fully integrated into the final agreement.
“Europe will remain an important partner to our regions just as we are important partners for Europe,” he said. Kagame also reiterated his support for the World Health Organisation and its leadership under the leadership of Tedros Ghebreyesus who was also present at the meeting.
Source – Bulawayo24 News
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