The Commissioner of Economic Affairs of the African Union (AU) Commission has sounded the alarm about a risk of international economic recession with the coronavirus epidemic currently raging in China, the focus of the epidemic, and in several other countries.

"I would like to draw your attention to the economic consequences of this coronavirus. Currently, OPEC is in the process, if not it has finished meeting, to decide on the level of oil production because global demand is likely to decline. And the consequences in relation to African economies, given China's place in relation to our trade, (...) there is a risk of an economic recession at the international level," warned Victor Harrison.

He was speaking at the opening of the first meeting of the Bureau of the Association of African Central Banks (ABCA), at the headquarters of the BCEAO, in Dakar.

For the AU Commissioner for Economic Affairs, the African continent is aware of the consequences of climate change on African economies. It also recalls the harmful episode of the Ebola epidemic on our economies. That is why he recommends paying more attention.

"The coronavirus which, until now, does not reach our continent yet but we should be careful," warned Victor Harrison for whom the impact of the coronavirus could be harmful.

"If African economies are barely recovering, after the decade of growth, this phenomenon may affect us," he said.

It was in Wuhan, Hubei province, that the coronavirus was first discovered towards the end of 2019. Today, several thousand people are infected. The number of deaths in China has even exceeded a thousand.