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PRESS RELEASE
A two-man delegation, comprising the Minister of Information and
Communication Infrastructure, Honourable Demba Ali Jawo and the
Director General of the State Intelligence Service (SIS), Mr. Ousman Sowe, has just returned from a two-day visit to Sierra Leone as special envoys of President Adama Barrow to deliver a special condolence message to President Ernest Bai Koroma on the recent natural calamity that befell the sister Republic of Sierra Leone.
On delivering the message to President Koroma, Minister Jawo, who led
the delegation, extended greetings and best wishes to President Koroma
and the people of Sierra Leone from President Barrow, whom he said was
on a pilgrimage to Mecca. He said the delegation was a follow-up to the
letter of condolence earlier sent by President Barrow to President Koroma,
expressing sadness and sorrow over the devastating mudslide that struck
Sierra Leone on August 14, resulting in considerable loss of life and
extensive damage to property.
Minister Jawo went on to express sympathy on behalf of all Gambians,
emphasizing on the close social and family bond that exists between the
peoples of the two countries, which he said developed since during the
colonial era when the two former British colonies were jointly
administered. He also recalled the vast number of Gambians that received
their higher education in Sierra Leone.
In his response, President Koroma expressed gratitude to President Barrow
for the letter of sympathy he had sent earlier and following it up with a
special delegation. He said the gesture was a clear manifestation of the
need to morally support each other during times of crises. He went on to
emphasise the closeness of the peoples of the two countries through family
ties and educational pursuits, dating back to several decades.
President Koroma went on to cite the example of a prominent Gambian
businessman who he said recently took the decision to extend his business
venture to Sierra Leone as a form of giving back to the country for giving
him the opportunity to pursue his educational career there.
The President further reiterated the on-going recovery efforts, describing
what happened as a natural calamity, which can happen anywhere at any
time. He made reference tothe recent cases in the US, China, India and
Niger that also suffered from natural disasters. He said the situation calls
for collaborative efforts and capacity building in disaster management.
The special delegation also later held private discussions with President
Koroma during which the need for close collaboration between the two
countries, particularly in the areas of security, trade and bilateral cooperation were discussed.
The following day, the delegation was taken on a conducted tour of the
disaster site as well as a camp where some of the survivors were
temporarily sheltered and being cared for by the government and aid
agencies.
The delegation returned to Banjul on September 1st, 2017.
MINISTER
Ministry of Information & Communication Infrastructure
GRTS Bldg, MDI Road
Kanifing
