Covid-19: Cote d’Ivoire Opens Land Border
Cote d’Ivoire has lifted its Covid-imposed land border closure, officially re-opening its roads to neighboring countries after nearly three years.
The country shut down all borders on 22 March 2020 at the start of the Covid pandemic.
People queued for hours waiting for Côte d’Ivoire to reopen its land border with Ghana as divided families and traders rejoiced after a three-year COVID-19 closure kept them apart or put them out of business.
Ivorians and Ghanaians flocked in both directions through the tall metal arches over the bridge which separates the village of Noe from Elubo in Ghana.
They came on foot, by car and bus and on motorbikes.
Three busloads of Nigerian travellers also went through in just an hour after Thursday’s opening, heading for the Côte d’Ivoire capital Abidjan.
“A terrible ordeal has ended for everyone,” said Noe village chief Nanan Assi Atchan II.
“Over these three years some people risked their lives”, to get over the border.
“They made out they were fishermen … crossed the river,” in a dugout canoe, he said.
Noe teacher Eloukou Yapo said he had not seen some of his relatives and friends in Ghana for the whole period of the shutdown from March 2020.
“This afternoon I’m leaving for Ghana to see them at last,” he said, visibly moved.
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