AFRICA’S GOVERNANCE RESPONSE TO COVID-19 | PRELIMINARY REPORT 2020
d. Peace and Security and Governance Nexus
The peace and security community is concerned
with the immediate governance measures
and policy responses taken to contain the
pandemic. These include the public restrictions
on movement of persons, disruption of supply
chains and closure of businesses and workplaces,
all of which threaten livelihoods and impact on
access to humanitarian assistance and security
services by communities in the peripheral of major
economic hubs. These measures and policies,
therefore, arguably weaken the resilience and
coping capacities of the said communities and
in both the medium to long term, consequently
deepening social fractures and conflicts. These
challenges are most pronounced in Libya, Somalia
and Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Equally true is that the onset of COVID-19 has
also hampered the implementation of peace and
security agreements and arrangements, further
exacerbating state fragility in conflict countries.
“Peace is not just the absence of war. Many women
under lockdown for COVID 19 face violence in
spaces where they should be the safest: in their
own homes. The UNSG urges all governments
to put women’s safety first as they respond to
the pandemic”. Unfortunately, it seems that the
global clarion call for peace remains a challenge
when it comes to implementation. In some
cases, declarations made by the parties in conflict
were quickly violated, the fighting continuing to
increase in most theatres of conflict despite the
fear of COVID 19, most notably in Libya, Eastern
DRC, in the Sahel region and CAR.
On the continent, the AU Peace and Security
Council (PSC), the chairperson of the Commission,
the commissioner for peace and security and other
AU policy organs produced preliminary statements
on the security situation amid the pandemic. The
PSC, which devoted its 918th meeting on 14 April
2020 to the “Impact of the Novel Coronavirus
Disease Outbreak on Peace and Security in
Africa”, reiterated its call to those members
of the ‘international community’ who have
imposed sanctions and other punitive measures
on some African countries, to immediately and
unconditionally lift the sanctions. This would
allow those countries to devote their efforts and
resources to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic
and regenerating their economies. The PSC’s call
is in line with the call made by the UNSG on 10th
February 2020 at the AU Assembly of the Union,
demanding that Sudan be removed from the US
list of state sponsors of terrorism. The call was in
recognition of Khartoum’s positive strides to return
In recognition of this the UN and Regional
Organizations called for a global ceasefire and
cessation of hostilities on 23 March 2020 through
a press release of the UN Secretary General
(UNSG), Antonio Guterres. The aim was to
facilitate the diplomatic and humanitarian actions
needed for the delivery of lifesaving aid and, above
all, crystalize the capacities of the world around
one common fight and battle. The UN General
Assembly adopted the UNSG call on 2 April 2020,
which was also supported and endorsed by
member states, civil society and others According
to the UNSG’s report made, public on 3rd April,
“a substantial number of parties to conflict have
expressed their acceptance of the call”, in such
places as Cameroon, Central African Republic
(CAR), Libya, South Sudan, and Sudan (and beyond
Africa too). Additionally, the UNSG pointed out
through his Twitter page that
to the international fold. It is important to highlight
here that sanctioned countries are technically
ineligible for debt relief and financing from the
IMF and the World Bank. The lifting of sanctions
should be part of the global strategic approach to
combat the pandemic.
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