COVID-19 and the Borderlands in Africa: Some Reflections on Ghana’s Approach

Abstract

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought disruption to the economic and social lives of nations and people across the globe. In Africa, the pandemic has exposed the weak capacity of the African state to respond to emergencies of such magnitude and nature. In the attempt to contain the spread of the virus, many African governments closed their external borders and locked town cities or centres of larger population concentration, which were having high levels of infection. Governments have also taken measures to address the social and economic impacts of the pandemic on their populations. Using Ghana as a case study and a qualitative research approach, this paper argues that the policies adopted to mitigate the socioeconomic impact of covid-19 in Ghana has rather reinforced the vulnerabilities and marginalisation of borderland populations. It is argued that the closure of the land borders has disrupted the border economy, which sustains border populations. The disruption of the border economy has contributed to aggravating the deprivation and marginalisation of borderland populations. Securitization of border security under covid-19 and failure to engage with border people have resulted in the pursuit of policies that are befuddled with contradictions in terms of intent and results in border areas. Thus, while attempting to mitigate the socio-economic impact on poor and marginalised people, Covid-19 policies have contributed to penetrating the evil they sort to cure in border areas