Protesters in Guinea Clash With Police Over COVID-19 Measures

Six protesters have been killed following clashes with the police and security forces, according reports by Aljazeera. Roadblocks which have been set up by authorities in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus outbreak have sparked protests in Coyah and Dubreka with protesters claiming that they are being mistreated and extorted by authorities when entering and exiting the capital city. The government has not issued any official response with regards to the protests as yet.

The total number of coronavirus cases in Guinea stands at 2298 with 11 deaths thus far according to BBC's Coronavirus in Africa tracker. The West-African country is one of the hardest hit countries in that region.

Recently, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) sent aid to the country with UAE ambassador to Guinea Ahmed Nasser Abdul Rahim Al-Khaja saying, "Aiding Guinea in its fight against COVID-19 is a task that the UAE treats with the utmost seriousness, and it is our firm hope that such assistance will leave a genuine mark on the country's efforts to curb the virus' spread."

While Guinea has put in place several preventive measures to curb the spread of the outbreak, citizens are allegedly frustrated by rampant corruption by authorities who are making an already tense socio-political environment even worse.

Additionally, while the World Health Organisation (WHO) continues to call for proper clinical trials into potential treatments for COVID-19, Guinea is among several countries which has ordered a consignment of COVID-Organics, a herbal tonic which Madagascar's President Andry Rajoelina is touting as a cure for the coronavirus.