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Senegalese President Macky Sall lifted the ban on repatriating the bodies of citizens living abroad who died from Covid-19. The relatives of the victims have welcomed the announcement.
“Families in Senegal can finally cry,” says Sada Ly, a representative of the Senegalese diaspora in France.
This decision means that “your loved ones will be able to rest in peace in the land of your ancestors,” he told RFI.
A group of families with relatives killed abroad has been calling on the government since April to revoke its ban on repatriating coronavirus victims.
Dakar had said the ban was necessary to stop the spread of the virus, however, family members argued that it violated their fundamental right to bury their dead in Senegal.
In the end, President Macky Sall decided they were right.
“Given the strong demand to repatriate the bodies of our compatriots who died from Covid-19 abroad, and based on expert advice on sanitary conditions, it will now be possible to carry out these repatriations,” Sall wrote in Twitter on Monday.
Family members have said that about 80 Senegalese citizens have died from Covid-19 abroad, including around 50 in France alone.
Returning bodies home
Now that they have the green light, the families of coronavirus victims in France can apply for a laissez-passer or a certificate to transport the body of their relative back to the Muslim-majority country of West Africa.
“We have signed a contract with several funeral directors who will be in charge of implementing the appropriate hygiene measures,” explains Sada Ly, representative of the Senegalese diaspora.
“They will let us know when it is possible to hold a memorial service and so that small groups can come together to pay their respects. Afterward, the funeral homes will transport the coffin to the airport.”
High costs
When asked if current travel restrictions would negatively affect the repatriation process, Ly said the answer was negative.
“While there are no commercial flights between France and Senegal, cargo planes are still operating. All that is required is a laissez-passer, the rest is simple.”
Relatives of coronavirus victims have talked about the difficulty of crying without a burial and of keeping payments to store the bodies of their loved ones.
The cost of keeping the bodies in the morgue is around 50 euros per day and many families have been paying this sum for several weeks.
A network of families has urged the Senegalese government to cover some of the repatriation costs.
