The French Ambassador to Liberia, His Excellency Mr. Joël Godeau, has praised the Liberian Government and people for the solidarity that they have shown the French Government and people since the barbaric, terrorist attack in Nice, France.

On Thursday, July 14, as French and other nationals enjoyed the celebrations including fireworks on Bastille Day fireworks in Nice, France, a man, identified by French authorities as Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, ramped a lorry he was driving into the crowd. At least 84 persons, including 10 children, were left dead and more than 200 persons wounded, some very critical.

According to a Foreign Ministry release, when news of the heinous crime broke, the French Ambassador indicated that President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was among the first to send a message of consolation and condolence to His Excellency Mr. François Hollande, President of France.

“Madam President sent a very warm message to the President of France expressing her sympathy and compassion and denouncing this terrible and awful attack against innocent people,” Ambassador Godeau stated.

He disclosed that at least 84 persons, including 10 children died and nearly 300 were injured; adding: “A few hundred more are psychologically shocked by what they saw.”

The French Ambassador stressed that everyone, including the man who carried out the attack, cannot make France to give in and that the French people will resist every hate, which according to him, is the measure for preventing such terrorist attack.

Speaking earlier after he had signed the Book of Condolence at the French Embassy near Monrovia, Vice President Joseph N. Boakai stated that he just couldn’t comprehend “the madness that enters people to destroy lives without any justification.”

The Vice President said as he watched the event unfolded on television and knowing the French people being who they are “open and sociable,” he couldn’t understand that such thing was happening to them.

He stated that he had brought a message of consolation to French people through their embassy. “We want to console them. We have a very close relationship with the French people; when such a thing happens, we put ourselves in their shoes like it’s happening to us,” he said sadly.

Vice President Boakai led an array of Government officials, including Acting Foreign Minister B. Elias Shoniyin, Justice Minister Frederick Cherue, Youth and Sports Minister Saah N’Tow, and others to sign the Book of Condolence, which the French Embassy has opened in memory of those who lost their lives in Nice.