Sierra Leone’s Acting Envoy to the People’s Republic of China has said, her country fully appreciates China’s support in bringing an end to the ebola virus in Sierra Leone, whilst also promising to work hard in ensuring a surge in the diplomatic and people-to-people ties between the two countries.
Madam Kumba Alice Momoh spoke on Monday 11th January during a call on the Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone, Jhao Yanbo, at his Freetown Office.
Madam Momoh said, Sierra Leone shall ever remain grateful to the Government and People of China for always standing by Sierra Leone especially during during the most recent challenging moment when there was an ebola outbreak.
The Chinese, Momoh said, were the first to fly into Sierra Leone with medical support, from the perspective of international support. Ebola, she said, came at an unexpected moment but that with the help of friendly nations like China, Sierra Leone was able to tackle the challenge. She promised to work hard towards lifting the bars of cooperation ties between the two countries.
Responding, Ambassador Yanbo said, China felt obliged to always help Sierra Leone given the special relationship between the two countries over the decades. From the days of Caiman Mao Zedong, he said, both countries had been supportive of each other.
Ambassador Yanbo was optimistic of Sierra Leone’s growth, saying, he was impressed, the country is fast tracking her development efforts. His country, he said, will continue giving Sierra Leone the required support in pursing her development programs.
Sierra Leone, he said, should work towards having programs that could be funded from the 60 billion dollar funding pledge made by China during the last Forum On China –Africa Cooperation meeting in South Africa, in late 2015.
In another development, Madam Kumba Alice Momoh on Tuesday 5th January presented the sum of twenty thousand United States dollars ($20,000) to the Government of Sierra Leone through the Office of the President as support to victims of the September 2015 flood disaster.
The money, which came from friends in China, was presented to His Excellency President Ernest Bai Koroma by Madam Kumba Momoh who, during the presentation, commended the leadership that President Koroma provided in bringing an end to the ebola virus and in now tackling the challenges brought about by the 2015 flood disaster in Freetown.
His Excellency President Ernest Bai Koroma, receiving the cash donation, thanked the Embassy in China for mobilizing such support and paid special tribute to the Government and People of the People’s Republic of China who provided exceptional support to Sierra Leone during the ebola outbreak.
Because of that outstanding support, an invitation, he said, has been extended to the President of China, Xi Jinping to receive the award of Commander of the Order of the Rokel, the highest honor in Sierra Leone, which he said, demonstrated the level at which the country appreciates the Chinese.
President Koroma thanked those friends in China who through the Embassy saw the need to support the flood victims, whilst assuring that the fund will be used for its intended purpose.
John Baimba Sesay
Information Attaché
Sierra Leone Embassy
PR China
