This archive report was first published on 11 May 2020.
Published on May 11, 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed weaknesses in governance across Africa, exacerbating youth unemployment and restlessness in fragile countries.
Experts warn that the pandemic could trigger widespread unrest and test crisis management systems on the continent.
At a virtual discussion, African security and policy experts highlighted the impact of COVID-19 on the 'Silencing the Guns 2020' program, which aims to achieve a conflict-free Africa.
According to Andrews Atta Asamoah, a senior research fellow with the Institute of Security Studies, 'Covid-19 will do more harm in regions experiencing conflicts. We must deal with security in the wake of the pandemic.'
The pandemic has worsened acute food scarcity, increased gender-based and sexual violence, and diminished economic opportunities, leading to lost livelihoods in countries with ongoing conflict.
The regions expected to be most affected are the Sahel, the Lake Chad Basin, Central African region, eastern Congo, the Horn of Africa, Sudan, South Sudan, and Libya.
