COVID-19: Burundi expels WHO officials

In preparation for a presidential election scheduled to hold May 20 despite COVID-19-induced public health concerns, Burundi is expelling the National Head of the World Health Organization (WHO) and three other members of his team.

The move was effected on Thursday after a ‘May 12’ letter was served to the WHO Head in Burundi, Walter Kazadi Mulombo and three other UN health experts, ordering them out on Friday and declaring them “persona non grata”.

The case is not the first of its kind as in 2018, Burundi expelled UN personnel investigating accusations of human rights abuse by a ruling party militia.

With no protests from the WHO in Burundi, Director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention John Nkengasong, has called the expulsion “unfortunate”, criticizing the government’s decision to conduct an election despite the pandemic.

Speaking at a press conference in Ethiopia, Nkengasong said: “We have to collectively deny the virus any space to transmit,”

“Cases have increased in countries that went ahead and held elections,” he added

Politicians have continued to pull large crowds, conducting election campaigns in the country which, unlike other African nation’s, has had no lockdown measure.

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Although Burundi has reported relatively few cases of the Covid-19 disease, testing has remained low. The country has recorded 27 infections and 1 death so far according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

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