|
As part of its visit to Sierra Leone, the Group 4 all-party delegation from India, headed by Shiv Sena MP Dr Shrikant Shinde, held a meeting with Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, Vice President of Sierra Leone, in Freetown.
Following the meeting, Vice President Jalloh expressed strong support for India's stand against terrorism and condemned its global impact. Jalloh strongly condemned terrorism, describing its damaging consequences. "We outrightly condemn terrorism. We know the devastating impact it has not only on the security but also on the development prospects of the country," he said. He further assured that Sierra Leone would raise the issue on various international platforms. "I want to assure you that Sierra Leone will use the United Nations Security Council, our position in the African Union, and the OIC, wherever we have the platform, because it is not only an issue of Asia but also in our neighbourhood," he said. The Vice President also stated that he would pass on the Indian delegation's message to Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio. "I will also deliver your message to the President of the country, who is out of the country and will be back on Sunday," he added. Meanwhile, the Shinde-led delegation met with Abdulai Caulker, the National Security Coordinator of Sierra Leone, and his team in Freetown on Thursday (local time). Deputy National Security Coordinator, Ahmed A Sannoh, was also present at the meeting. Following the meeting, Sannoh said that they had a fruitful discussion around the issue of the global threat of terrorism. He extended Sierra Leone's support to fight against terrorism. "I am happy to report that we had a fruitful discussion around the issue of the global threat of terrorism. We believe that Sierra Leone must do whatever it is able to do in its own power to support the international fight against terrorism. So, we sympathise with all those who are victims of that carnage, we hope and pray that peace will reign in the world more than hostility and hatred," Sannoh said. Speaking with ANI, he added, "I think Sierra Leone is willing to be collaborative and would be prepared to do whatever it can in its power to be able to complement the global efforts towards fighting a crime of that nature." In an extraordinary gesture, Sierra Leone Parliament observed a moment of silence in honour of the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 in the presence of the All-Party delegation. The delegation arrived in Sierra Leone as part of a global outreach programme. Baisnab Charan Pradhan, the High Commissioner of India to Sierra Leone, welcomed the delegation. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs Bansuri Swaraj, Atul Garg, Manan Kumar Mishra, Indian Union Muslim League's ET Mohammed Basheer, Biju Janata Dal's Sasmit Patra, BJP leader SS Ahluwalia, and former Ambassador Sujan Chinoy are also part of the Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde-led delegation. The delegation aims to brief international partners on India's response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and its broader fight against cross-border terrorism while engaging with leaders. (ANI)
|
