By Nasratu Kargbo
Paramount Chief Member of Parliament for Tonkolili District, Bai Kurr Kanagbro III has voiced concerns about the safety of Sierra Leoneans in Ukraine.
Addressing colleague parliamentarians in the house the MP explained that it is important for the country to know about its citizens in the war torn country and whether measures have been but in place to have them brought back to Sierra Leone.
Kanagbro said other countries have made it a point of duty to have their students and citizens taken out of Ukraine in order to ensure that they are safe. Russian Forces attacked Ukraine over three weeks ago.
Responding to the Chief, the Speaker of Parliament Chernor Abass Bundu stated that the issue brought up was very important and advised the MP to write a letter through the Clerk for the Minister of Foreign Affairs to respond to the issue.
Meanwhile a Foreign Ministry source told Politico that 94 Sierra Leoneans have fled the fighting but have indicated their desire to stay put in the countries where they are seeking refuge, with no intention of returning to Sierra Leone in the immediate future. The officials who wanted not to be named, said in all, there were 97 Sierra Leoneans in Ukraine but that three of them have opted to stay. They said those who fled are mostly students and have gone to countries such as Poland, France and Germany, where they are going to wait and hope for an end to hostilities so they can return to Ukraine and continue their studies.
The Sierra Leone Embassy in Russia that covers Ukraine had asked the Sierra Leone embassies in Belgium, Turkey and Germany to offer assistance to citizens coming from Ukraine. The Ambassador was reported to have held talks with the Polish ambassador in Moscow about the wellbeing of Sierra Leoneans in Poland. Contacts have been made with authorities in Hungary, Romania and Poland about the safety of Sierra Leoneans that would have fled from Ukraine.
Copyright © 2022 Politico Online (17/03/22)
