Burundi expels four senior WHO officials as unacceptable persons

14 Mai 2020

Bujumbura, Burundi, May 14 (Infosplusgabon) - Four senior officials of the World Health Organization (WHO) have been declared "personae non gratae" by the Burundian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PANA learned from diplomatic sources in Bujumbura on Thursday.

Those concerned are Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo, WHO resident representative in Burundi, Pr Tarzy Daniel, Dr Ruhana Murindi Basimwa and Dr Jean Pierre Mulunda Nkata, who are consultants to the organization in Bujumbura.

It was by a verbal note that the Burundian Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed the WHO representation office for Africa in Brazzaville, the Congolese capital, that the four senior officials must be out of the country before May 15, 2020.

Other sources in Bujumbura indicated that communication was difficult between the country's health authorities and the WHO office on the management of the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) in Burundi.

The Burundian authorities are generally careful not to cause panic to the population as the country prepares for general and presidential elections on May 20.

In addition, markets, public transport, places of worship and leisure, schools and universities remain open to the public despite the growing threats from the virus.

Burundi recently recorded eight new infections, bringing to 27 the number of Covid-19 cases officially reported since the outbreak of the pandemic in March.

Elsewhere in the world, confinement of populations has been one of the radical solutions to curb the spread of the virus.

FIN/ INFOSPLUSGABON/SDC/GABON2020

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