The Ministry of Sports and Sports Council have expressed sympathy with the people of France through their Consul in Sierra Leone, Rugie Kamara on Tuesday 17th November 2015.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sports said after the terrorist attacks they decided to go and sympathy with the French people. “Today is France, we don’t know who will be next,” the PS said.
The Deputy Minister of Sports, Ishmael Al-Sankoh Conteh said as a ministry they are very sad for the incident and they were very concern because it happened during a football match.
As football is part of our ministry, he said “We are here with a heavy heart” and on behalf of government and people of Sierra Leone, on behalf of the minister and staff of Sports ministry and the National Sports Council, we wish the government and the people of France through your good office our condolences for the loss of about one hundred and thirty innocent lives and about two hundred innocent nationals injured through the latest terrorist attacks on the Stade De france and petit Cambodia restaurant during a friendly football match between France and Germany on Friday 13th November 2015.
‘We in the ministry of sports are particularly touched by this deadly attack as it occurred in the course of sports activity and one of the targets was in fact a stadium.
The attack is also is an eye opener to us Sierra Leoneans as we have recently come to witness the emergence of violent groups in the country.
These are possible breeding grounds for home grown terrorists. We are also neighbours to countries in the sub-region that have recent past witnessed the emergence of what seems to be home grown terror groups.
It is with this in mind that whilst we sympathize with the French, we need to engage our security operatives to be alert and not lessons from nations have fallen prey.
Consul of France in Sierra Leone, Rugie Kamara, in her statement, said she was moved by what the ministry of sports has done as they were the first to sympathize with them.
She said the people for France were not expecting this attack; the terrorist took them by surprise, killing hundreds innocent people.
She also revealed that in January this year in France, journalists where attack when they were doing their work and 11 of them were killed.
She also said the latest attack was planned in Belgium and Syria, adding that the terrorists attacked a football stadium, a concert hall and a restaurant.
She said France is one of the European countries that is open to foreigners but “I wonder if they are going to be open like before because of what has happened”.
The Director of Sports, Ibrahim Bangura said they were deeply shocked by what has happened but as a ministry they are proud to identify themselves with them at this particular moment.
By Bernard Turay
Thursday November 19, 2015
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