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Paper short abstract:

In this paper we examine how temporal frictions between citizens and government developed and changed during the COVID-19 pandemic in Burkina Faso and we speculate about how epidemics affect and are affected by the relationship between citizens and the state in unstable places.

Paper long abstract:

In the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was not the disease itself that caused disruptions in Burkina Faso, but rather the restrictive measures that in radical ways transformed the rhythm of everyday life. The lockdown hit hard and pushed many families into situations where it was extremely difficult to provide for the next meal. With severe security problems, political turbulence and an under-financed health system, the government of Burkina Faso faced particular challenges at the unset of the epidemic where swift actions were needed. In this paper, we argue that the government’s pre-emptive lockdown strategy, acting on a not-yet situation on the basis of mathematical modelling and scenario development, created temporal frictions between ordinary citizens and the government, particularly during the first phase of the pandemic, where the disease was still unexperienced and ‘invisible’ to most citizens. Local skepticism about the actual existence (and severity) of the pandemic and about the government’s way of handling the situation emerged. Later, as the most severe restrictions had been lifted, the government was praised for its actions and its (at least momentary) visibility and interest in caring for the health of the population. In this paper we follow how these temporal frictions developed and changed during the pandemic and we speculate about the ’next’ epidemic in an unstable place like Burkina Faso and more generally, about how epidemics affect and are affected by the relationship between citizens and the state.