African Muslims spending 2nd Ramadan amid pandemic

Muslims in several African countries, including Cameroon, Tanzania, Djibouti, Kenya, Morocco, Burkina Faso, Comoros, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Eritrea, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, and Uganda, started their annual observance of the holy month of Ramadan on or around April 13. They refrain from eating, drinking, and smoking from dawn until dusk. The holy month will end on Eid al-Fitr (Feast of Breaking the Fast) that occurs on or around May 13, 2021.

Among Muslims, Ramadan revives the sense of community and tightens the bonds and friendships when people gather in mosques or observe Ramadan rituals but this year the story is different because, for the second consecutive year under the pandemic, coronavirus limits have impacted festivities in Africa.

In Ramadan 2021, Muslims perform their daily prayers at home, missing congregational prayers and feasting with communities during fast-breaking at sunset. Schools, mosques, and churches have all been shut down to curb the spread of the virus. Severe restrictions, lockdowns, and night curfews are imposed.

A family at Iftar table in Djibouti