African Union (AU): Communiqué of the Bureau of the Assembly of the African Union Heads of State and Government Teleconference on COVID-19, Held on 26 March 2020 (26.03.2020)

Police Reforms Working Group – Kenya: Police Must Stop Use of Excessive Force wile Enforcing the Curfew Order March 27, 2020 (27.03.2020)

Kenya: Police Internal Memo – Curfew Guidelines for Law Enforcement (27.03.2020)

Opinion: Police Brutality is not an answer, but a tool of oppression

[to a patrolman who has given someone a ticket at the urging for more arrests] Baker, Let me let you in on a little secret, The patrolling officer on his beat is the one true dictatorship in America, we can lock a guy up on the humble, lock him up for real, or say f*** it and drink ourselves to death under the expressway and our side partners will cover us, No one – I mean no one – tells us how to waste our shift!” – Jimmy McNulty – (The Wire – Episode 10 ‘Misgivings’ Season 4, 2006)

Over the last two days there been lots of victims of police brutality in Uganda and in Kenya. This being in Central Kampala yesterday or today in Mombasa or in Nairobi. This as the new measures by the state to order people home and closing lots of businesses. That is all done to battle the COVID-19 and the Corona virus. However, the Police is acting up and using colonial means to stop people from being around.

Instead of trying to common sense, even talk. They are using batons and using weapons against citizens. They are arresting and putting them on the back of pickups. They are collected together in small spaces, put on their knees and awaiting further bad treatment from the police. This is the misuse of power. Instead of understanding the issues with the Liknoi Ferry or anywhere else. Instad of trying to understand the fruit-seller. The police is using violence and brutality.

They are instead of educating the general public on social distancing, which is needed in this time. The Police are actually using other means. They are actually gathering the public and putting them together. In ways which is dangerous for spreading the virus. Which is the reason for the curfew or the lock-down measures. These sort of measures made to stop the public from being out and about.

Yes, the public should stay home, but also have to recollect. As there are a grand public who lacks funds, who lacks fiscal funding to survive in this trying times. It is not like the state has configured extra money or pay-offs for the civil servants or the informal sectors in the Republics. They just got to survive the days at home without a salary. They are cut off from work and has no compensation.

The states should see this, but the Kenyan or Ugandan government haven’t figured this out. They are instead using the army and police to brutally assault citizens who are still out and about. This is the sort of violence that triggers more fear not a solidarity to stay home. They are more frightened and concerned, instead of being educated and get a deeper understanding of why these measures was made. That is what a police officer or soldier should explain to the vendor, the hawker or whoever they pass by on the streets. Not beat on them like crazy… that is not making things better, but instead… worse.

In both republic’s the police needs a lesson. They need to know better. They are hitting the tax-payer. They are violating their rights. This is something the High Ranking Police Commanders needs to answer for. They need to answer and come correct, because the last 48 hours they been all wrong.

This is police brutality and its unforgivable. They are using batons on civilians. This is really terrible. Tragic. The pain and suffering these citizens has, just because they were in the wrong place and at the wrong time. Because of that, they we’re hurt and assaulted. These people deserved to be treated equally and not met with violence.

However, that was the prescription from the Police. They need to answer for this and also answer to the victims. Who were stacked together in the times of social distancing. Seriously, how dangerous are you and how are misusing your power? Peace.

Rwanda: Ministry of Health – Update on COVID-19 Coronavirus (27.03.2020)

Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU): Message from UNATU National Chairperson to the entire leadership, membership and staff of UNATU on 27th March 2020 (27.03.2020)

South Africa: ANC Statement on COVID-19 Deaths (27.03.2020)

Burundi: Kira Hospital lettre de Ministre de la Sante Publique et de la lutte contre le Sida – Objet: Demande urgente de reactifs de despistage du COVID-19 a Kira Hospital (27.03.2020)

Opinion: Illegal trade of pangolins is the cause of this pandemic

Who knew a mammal like pangolins would cause this much pain and suffering. The illegal wild-life traders in Asia would bring these to small locations in Wet-Markets, where they sell wild creatures from all over the globe. So, that the Chinese elites can eat wild animals, which is supposed to bring luck and healing. While they are in closed off locations, where the animal diseases are spreading between the animals and also onto people. This is how we gotten the COVID-19 or Coronavirus, which we know of today.

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) writes this about the Pangolins: “These solitary, primarily nocturnal animals, are easily recognized by their full armor of scales. A startled pangolin will cover its head with its front legs, exposing its scales to any potential predator. If touched or grabbed it will roll up completely into a ball, while the sharp scales on the tail can be used to lash out. Also called scaly anteaters because of their preferred diet, pangolins are increasingly victims of illegal wildlife crime—mainly in Asia and in growing amounts in Africa—for their meat and scales” (WWF – ‘Pangolin’).

In February 2020, the National Geographic had this report: “In China, where pangolins are strictly protected too, the government allows certain clinics and hospitals to sell pangolin scales for medicinal purposes. As of 2016, some 200 Chinese pharmaceutical companies were also allowed to manufacture more than 60 products containing pangolin scales, according to the China Food and Drug Administration’s online database. Officials say scales for medicinal use are distributed from a government stockpile, but China has never clarified how large the country’s stockpile is or where the scales came from. As the Wildlife Justice Commission reports, the medicinal system is likely being used to launder illegally obtained African pangolin scales into China’s legal domestic market” (Rachel Nuwer – ‘Illegal trade in pangolins keeps growing as criminal networks expand’ 11.02.2020, National Geographic).

When you have an issue like this and there is scientist saying the first bearer of the virus hitting the world comes from this mammal. That the pangolins are the ones who first carried it and had it. This is happening because we take the wild-life out of its habitat and put them into wet-markets for sale. Selling wild-life like other commodities and for traditional medicine. Instead of actually having scientific effects of the matter. Where they are then exposing their illnesses to both other animals and human beings too. That is why we’re living through this issue today.

This here should be a lesson to not support illegal wild-life trading. Stop trading of wild-life and in general, if possible let the wild-life live in the habitat they comes from or even be part of their natural surrounding. Not being taken away for their scales or their meat. Which has happen, where they was transported, put into small environment and made it possible for the virus to spread. This the reality and that is why COVID-19 got spread to new areas.

This is not just a Chinese problem. Even if they are the ones with the Wet-Market and the tradition of using pangolins as medicinal. Still, the illegal traders, poachers and the whole chain of people still active. They are ensuring their next check and their profitable transaction, as they know perfectly well, there is big business is selling this mammal to China. The Chinese isn’t alone this, this is also a problem in Vietnam as well. Therefore, it is only becoming evident because the virus started in Wuhan, China.

This here is a warning about the danger of this life-style. The pangolins are not made or living for medicinal exploits, neither healthy to use it in this way. As it causes a pandemic. Which shows they should stay in their habitat and become a commodity. Since, becoming a commodity, they also become a dangerous. A danger the world is now facing.

We can ask ourselves, is it worth risking humanity over transferring wild-life like this? The answer should be no. Not because we’re all green or climate change activists or all the above. However, because we care about the environment and out own well-being. Also, that the nature should run its course and we shouldn’t interfere with it, unless we know the consequences of our actions.

So, we now know what happens … and therefore, should stop the trading of pangolins, indefinitely. Peace.

Gabon: Syndicat des Medecins Fonctionaires Gabonais – Communique de Presse (27.03.2020)