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Ivory Coast meeting put off as Africa's coronavirus concerns mount

Published 05/03/2020, 11:51
Updated 05/03/2020, 11:54
© Reuters.  Ivory Coast meeting put off as Africa's coronavirus concerns mount

© Reuters. Ivory Coast meeting put off as Africa's coronavirus concerns mount

ABIDJAN, March 5 (Reuters) - A high-level business

conference due to take place in Ivory Coast next week has been

postponed, signalling heightened concern over the spread of

coronavirus in Africa, which has registered relatively few

cases.

But as infections spread across Asia, Europe and the United

States and led to the cancellation of conferences and sporting

and cultural events around the world, Nigeria and Senegal in

West Africa reported five cases in the past week.

The Africa CEO Forum had some 1,800 participants last year,

and this year's edition included appearances by the presidents

of Ivory Coast and Senegal as well as Nigeria's vice-president.

Senior officials from companies including Huawei HWT.UL ,

Total TOT.TO , Air France AIRF.PA , General Electric GE.N ,

Mastercard MA.N , Maersk MAERSKb.CO and Societe Generale

SOGN.PA were expected to attend.

But in an email on Wednesday, organisers of the event, which

was due to be held in Ivory Coast's commercial capital Abidjan

on March 9 and 10, said it was on hold. No coronavirus cases

have been confirmed in Ivory Coast, which is French-speaking

West Africa's largest economy.

"We regret to inform you that in light of the circumstances

around the COVID-19 coronavirus, the Africa CEO Forum has been

postponed to a later date, which will be announced shortly,"

they wrote.

The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank will

adopt a "virtual format" for their Spring Meetings next month

instead of convening in person in Washington. Senegalese authorities reported two new cases of coronavirus

on Wednesday, bringing the total to four since the first case

was confirmed there on Monday. Experts say it is not yet clear why sub-Saharan African

countries have registered so few cases of the virus, which could

challenge fragile health systems on the continent.

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