By Francis Ogwo
Protesters against the lockdown order in Guinea on Wednesday have forcefully opened some mosques in the country that have been shut for weeks.
Reports from protesters and officials say this is exactly a day after a clash between protesters against roadblocks set up during the high period of the outbreak left seven people dead.
The West African country of about 80% Muslim, which is regarded as impoverished has had its mosques closed since late March as a containment measure against the spread of the deadly virus.
Reports say, a large number of Muslim faithful comprising of women, young people, and children in the eastern town of Kamsar, chanting “Allahu akbar” meaning “God is Greatest”, trooped into a mosque and tidied up the environment before carrying out their prayers.
An anonymous respondent according to reports said, “The government is unable to protect us from the virus, so we are leaving it to God alone. How can markets stay open, but mosques be closed?”
It would be recalled that recently, the United Arab Emirates sent an aid plane containing 7 metric tons of medical supplies to Guinea to bolster the country’s efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Guinea known as the Republic of Guinea is a west-coastal country in West Africa. It has a population of 12.4 million and an area of 245,857 square kilometers (94,926 sq mi).
Health authorities say Guinea crossed the symbolic mark of 1,000 cases of the new coronavirus on Sunday, where the Covid-19 disease is progressing rapidly despite the introduction of a curfew and the compulsory wearing of masks.
