NAIROBI — The African Export-Import Bank has scrapped plans for its annual meeting, which had been scheduled to take place at the Egyptian resort of El Alamein next week. The decision comes in response to joint measures adopted by Egypt and the African Union following a surge in Ebola cases in central Africa.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has recorded 782 Ebola cases since an outbreak was officially declared one month ago, raising significant concerns about travel throughout the region for meetings and other gatherings. Neighboring Uganda has also reported confirmed infections.
The Cairo-based bank, known as Afreximbank, announced it will instead carry out shareholder business through “correspondence,” according to a statement reviewed by Reuters on Monday. The bank also noted that the Egyptian government has postponed other international events that had been planned for this month.
“These decisions were taken on public health and safety grounds in light of the evolving health situation in parts of the continent,” the lender stated.
Afreximbank is owned by a combination of African governments, regional financial institutions, and private shareholders.
The African Development Bank held its own annual meeting last month in Brazzaville, in the Republic of Congo — shortly after the Ebola outbreak was declared by its neighbor, the DRC.
