South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will, in his capacity as the African Union (AU) chairperson, participate in a virtual Extraordinary China-Africa Solidarity Summit against Covid-19, on June 17.

The summit is co-hosted by the Forum for China-Africa Cooperation (Focac) and aims to explore opportunities for African States to leverage multilateral cooperation, through the Focac mechanism, so that resources and knowledge can be mobilized in efforts to combat the pandemic.

Speaking during the event, Ramaphosa lamented Africa’s over 250 000 confirmed infections of Covid-19, and the subsequent death rate of more than 6 700 people. Although the number of infections in Africa is currently lower than elsewhere in the world, he warned that “there is an expectation that the worst is still to come, with dire social and economic consequences”.

It is for this reason that Ramaphosa highlighted an urgent need for medical supplies, testing equipment and facilities to isolate and quarantine people, laboratories, personal protection equipment and ventilators.

South Africa is therefore launching the Africa Medical Supplies Platform, which he said is “a ground-breaking marketplace to enable all African government to access critical supplies”.

However, as things stand, Ramaphosa noted that “many African countries are having to purchase goods with resources largely obtained from the multilateral agencies”.

As such, the President has asked China to consider support for the provision of diagnostic and therapeutic supplies over a six month period, adding that this support would be managed by AfriExImBank in collaboration with its counterpart in China, thereby allowing several African countries to procure goods from China.

Further, Ramaphosa referred to the AU’s Covid-19 Response Fund as a key intervention to mobilise and direct resources towards the continent’s response to the challenge.

The AU has called for debt relief for African countries that are indebted, including a two-year debt standstill and a plan for the restructuring of both private and bilateral debt.

To provide additional liquidity to shore up the private sector, Africa has also called for the international community to avail some unused Special Drawing Rights of about $100-billion for the continent.

Ramaphosa has urged China to support and contribute to this call, or to propose alternative options that can be considered on an urgent basis to help support the private sector.

“Sino-Africa solidarity and better multilateral cooperation is key to winning the battle against this pandemic. Through this and other platforms, let us continue to strengthen the bonds of solidarity that exist among us and take collective action to secure the future of humanity,” the President said.

Additionally, owing to technical constraints, not all Focac member States have been invited, but participants will include the Extended AU Bureau, which includes the Republic of Kenya, the Republic of Mali, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Republic of Zimbabwe, the Republic of Rwanda and the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. 

Other participants will include the chairpersons of regional economic communities, with the Republic of Madagascar representing the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa; Chad for the Community of Sahel–Saharan States; and the Republic of Rwanda for the East African Community.

The Republic of Gabon will represent the Economic Community of Central African States; the Republic of Niger the Economic Community of West African States, and the Republic of Sudan the Intergovernmental Authority on Development.

The State of Libya will represent the Arab Maghreb Union, while the Democratic People’s Republic of Algeria and the Federal Republic of Nigeria will participate as initiating members of the New Partnership for Africa's Development.