As Coronavirus reaches the African continent – and threatens to overwhelm it. Africa is having to fight against the arrival of COVID-19, With the world’s largest concentration of people with HIV which is another Global pandemic.
The outbreak of the coronavirus has seen a lot of blame-games between the United States of America and China. The Chinese are blaming America for the spread of the virus. The deputy director of Foreign Ministry Information Department and Spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry, Zhao Lijian, tweeted that “it might be the US army” that brought the coronavirus to China whilst Donald Trump, President of the United States also constantly refer to COVID-19 as a “Chinese Virus”.
Trump has, quite clearly, crossed out “corona” before “virus” and replaced it with the word “Chinese.”
That attempted narrative shift is beyond question. What appears to be up for some debate is whether or not Trump’s rhetorical change reflects him simply using proper geographic labeling — the coronavirus did emerge from the Wuhan province — or whether it is part of a broader attempt to drive xenophobic sentiment toward China.
In the wake of this back and forth, Our research team came across a very strong statement made by Muammar Mohammed Abu Minyar Gaddafi, a former Revolutionary Libyan President and Pan-Africanist.
In a speech delivered during his prime years of leadership, Gaddafi stated that there are people who specialize in creating health problems just to make money, irrespective of the danger it poses to human existence.
According to him, “they will create the virus themselves and they will sell the antidotes afterwards, pretending to take their time to find the solution when they already have it.”
This moment of COVID-19 the pandemic spreading across and killing many people coupled with the emerging accusations is the right time to start a conversation on these thoughts of Gaddafi, especially when the virus has started spreading in Africa.
Colonel Muammar Gaddafi has always been that leader who finds it very difficult to believe in the truthfulness of people who once decided to share and evade the territories of Africa, loot resources to build their nation and brutalize its people in addition.
Known to be very protective of the African culture, a promoter of African unity and a strong critic of foreign ideologies and the manner and strategies with which the powers manipulate the world, He has never held back on his words when speaking against social ills. Many of the things Gaddafi use to be critical about in the past, most of which were ignored seem to be manifesting today.
Even though Africa has not yet been hit hard by the Virus as other Continents,World Health Organisation (WHO) have warned that the coronavirus could devastate Africa.
If the covid-19 gains a solid foothold, Africa could quickly replace Europe as the new center of the pandemic. Many African countries lack the infrastructure and personnel needed to fight a deadly outbreak. Warning of “critical gaps in readiness,” the WHO has assured the African Union that it will do its part. It has already geared up monitoring and evaluation on the continent, but that’s only a first step. The WHO’s regional director for Africa recently warned that the Covid-19 has “cast a spotlight on the shortcomings in health systems in the African region.”
So far, the number of reported infections in Africa is still low compared with Europe and China. And the situation could change swiftly.
It has been reported that human trials of the Vaccine will begin imminently – but even if they go well and a cure is found, there are many barriers before global immunisation is feasible
Gaddafi may be far gone but his thoughts are still relevant today. What do you make of his view? (Source: weloveafrica.net)