COVID-19 Conflict & Resilience Monitor – 22 July 2020

At least 22 countries in Africa were scheduled to hold either local government, parliamentary or presidential elections this year. Given the almost universal strategies adopted to prevent the spread of COVID-19 – including restricting people to their homes, border closures, travel restrictions and banning large gatherings – the decision whether to continue with some of the elections despite COVID-19 became a controversial issue. Stated differently, the decision came down to either preserving the vote or the voter.

The year 2020 is a significant milestone for gender equality and women’s empowerment, as it marks the anniversary of unprecedented policy commitments and practical action frameworks. The COVID-19 pandemic has abruptly disrupted plans to assess the progress of these milestones, celebrate the achievements and set new objectives or goals.

There is now an unprecedented opportunity for Europe to begin its journey towards a new contemporary and future shared ethical relationship, and do so not only as good regionalism, but also as an exercise in multilateralism. This will forge a new approach in its relationship with Africa, this time based on solidarity. This relationship will include a fundamental re-examination of how unfair trade and existing debt structures are impeding not only the capacity to respond to COVID-19, but also the necessary transformations that a continent is getting underway with an African agency that seeks a new form of partnership with its most proximate neighbour, the European Union.

COVID-19 prevention policy measures – such as working and schooling from home, travel bans and quarantines, social distancing, the mandatory wearing of masks and limitation on gatherings (for instance, funerals) – have ignited the iconic debate on which comes first: freedom or security?