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Herald Reporter

AFRICAN countries and China have called on countries that have imposed illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe to lift the debilitating economic embargo so as to enable the country to fight the deadly coronavirus pandemic.

In a joint statement, the virtual Extraordinary China-Africa Summit In Solidarity against Covid-19 that was held on Wednesday this week noted that African countries require assistance to fight the global disease that has brought economies to a screeching halt and killed more than 400 000 people.

President Mnangagwa participated in the virtual Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit that was co-chaired by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Senegalese President Macky Sall.

“We underscore the close relationship between peace, security and development, and call on the international community to support Africa in implementing its ‘Silencing the Guns’ campaign and urge for an early lifting of economic sanctions on Zimbabwe and Sudan,” reads the statement.

Zimbabwe, which has not been spared by the ravaging effects of Covid-19, is presently reeling under economic sanctions that were imposed by Western countries and the United States as a form of punishment against its Land Reform programme.

Although some countries like the US have ignored the Second Republic rapprochement efforts, it is gaining support from many African countries and also China.

According to the joint statement, there is need to bolster co-operation between African states and China so as to win the war against Covid-19.

“We recognise the importance of public health issues to global peace and security and the well-being of people around the world, particularly the fact that Africa is extremely vulnerable to the ravages of this virus and needs solidarity and support, including resources from various parties to bolster its response to the pandemic and to support its economic and social development,” said the statement.

In his address to the summit, President Mnangagwa had called for multilateralism against unilateralism that is being pursued by some nations, even when time requires solidarity and cooperation.

This was reaffirmed in the joint statement which commended and supported “the United Nations Secretary-General’s call for a united response to Covid-19, and commit to jointly safeguard global public health security, protect the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, make greater contribution to world peace and development, and build a community of health for all”.

This comes as the United States has withdrawn support towards critical organisations in the fight against Covid-19 such as the World Health Organisation (WHO).

“We highly commend and actively support WHO’s role, under the stewardship of director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom, in leading and co-ordinating the global response to COVID-19, and call on the international community to scale up political and financial support for the WHO.

“We welcome the 73rd World Health Assembly (WHA) resolution on Covid-19 response, which expresses deep concerns about the negative impacts and consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, emphasises the importance of global collaboration, and calls for intensified international co-operation, unity, solidarity and joint efforts to contain and mitigate the pandemic, and to pay particular attention to the needs of people in vulnerable situations.

“We reiterate opposition to the politicisation and stigmatisation of the virus, and call on the international community to jointly prevent discrimination and stigma, reject misinformation and disinformation, and strengthen cooperation on the research and development of diagnostics, therapeutics, medicines and vaccines and the identification of the zoonotic source of the virus.

“We support the initiation, at the earliest appropriate moment and in consultation with WHO member states, of a stepwise process of impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation, including using existing mechanisms as appropriate, to review experience gained and lessons learned from the WHO-coordinated international health response to Covid-19 after the virus is brought under control worldwide, in an objective, impartial science-based and professional manner,” reads the statement.

Africa also hailed the decisive measures taken by the Chinese government to contain the spread of the virus and its timely sharing of information with WHO and relevant countries in an open, transparent and responsible manner, which bought precious time for the rest of the world.

In response, China commended the solidarity and support extended by African countries, the AU and other regional organisations for China’s Covid-19 response and appreciates the establishment of the AU Covid-19 strategy and the appointment of special envoys to mobilise international support for Africa’s efforts to address the economic challenges faced as a consequence of the pandemic, and further commends the resilience African countries have demonstrated and the positive results thus achieved in curbing the spread of the virus by adopting preventive measures.