The African Union under the leadership of Chairman Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed a team of special envoys to try to mobilise international support to help the continent respond to the coronavirus pandemic.
AU chairman Cyril Ramaphosa insisted it was time to marshal resources to ensure the pandemic did not cause the collapse of the continent’s stalling economies.
“These institutions need to support African economies that are facing serious economic challenges with a comprehensive stimulus package for Africa, including deferred debt and interest payments,” Mr Ramaphosa said.
The team is made of Nigeria’s former finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the former chief executive of Credit Suisse, Tidjane Thiam, Trevor Manuel, a former finance minister in South Africa, and Rwandan former head of the African Development Bank, economist Donald Kaberuka.
In a statement, the African Union says that the envoys will be tasked with “soliciting rapid and concrete support” pledged by the G20, the European Union and other financial institutions.
A global campaign to get rich countries to freeze payments on debts owed by poor countries and eventually cancel the debt is gaining steam.
The money could be diverted to fund health institutions to contain the spread of coronavirus.
