The seemingly contradictory orders were typical of Burkina Faso’s erratic response to the pandemic, which has been full of stops and starts. The government last month ordered citizens to wear masks, giving them more than a week to prepare, yet few people have complied. Authorities ordered a curfew, but it was relaxed soon after reports and videos emerged of abuses by security forces, including floggings of violators. Schools were scheduled to reopen last week, only to be ordered to stay closed until June 1. The government also recently buckled under pressure from the Federation of Islamic Associations, which organized demonstrations against mosque closures, and now many houses of worship have reopened.
In late April, the coordinator of the government’s response, Martial Ouedraogo, was sacked after questions were raised about the accuracy of his diagnosis of the first person to die in the country of COVID-19, opposition lawmaker Rose Marie Compaore. Compaore’s family members had raised doubts about the cause of her death in mid-March, suggesting she may have died of complications from diabetes. That incident cast a cloud over the reliability of the government’s information related to the pandemic.
Land and air borders remain closed, and the regions of Burkina Faso with cases were quarantined up until May 4. The country remains under a modified curfew, and many humanitarian staff who were responding to the security crisis in the country, as Burkina Faso struggles to combat an ongoing jihadist insurgency, are working remotely. Many diplomats, including those stationed at the U.S. Embassy, have been evacuated.