03 December 2001

Africans Help Victims of September 11 Terrorist Attacks

Washington -- African diplomats in Washington December 3 presented a $10,000 check to the United States government and the Red Cross to fund relief efforts for victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, which claimed more than 4,000 lives and victimized people from more than 80 nations.

Making the presentation at the U.S. Department of State was the dean of the African Diplomatic Corps, Ambassador Roble Olhaye of Djibouti. Also in attendance were Botswana's Ambassador Kgosi Seepapitso IV, Cameroon's Ambassador Jerome Mendouga, Ethiopia's Ambassador Berhane Gebre-Christos, Egypt's Ambassador M. Nabil Fahmy, Swaziland's Ambassador Mary M. Kanya, and Senegal's Ambassador Mamadou Mansour Seck.

Opening the ceremony, Ambassador Olhaye said, "We are gathered here today with ... the senior ambassadors from the subregions of Africa ... to make a presentation -- a modest sum which we have collected among our embassies toward the tragedy that has befallen this nation and has had repercussions around the whole world."

The check, Olhaye explained, will fund relief efforts now under way by the American Red Cross.

Mark Bellamy, the principal deputy assistant secretary of state for African affairs, accepted the check for the United States government.

Addressing the ambassadors and Red Cross representatives, Bellamy said, "All of us here in this bureau, who work on African issues every day, have been touched by the outpouring of sympathy and solidarity we have received from African governments and African publics since September 11.

"It is not just those of us, however, in the Africa Bureau," who have noticed that outpouring, he said. In addition, the secretary of state and "all of our colleagues" have noticed that "Africa has stood up, that Africa has been counted, that Africa has expressed its solidarity, and that Africa has stood with the United States in this time of crisis," Bellamy said.

Reminding his audience that "Africa and Africans were also victims on September 11," Bellamy expressed confidence that "Africa and Africans will also very much be participants in the campaign to address this evil of global terrorism."

Looking at the check, Bellamy told the ambassadors, "This is not a small amount -- the dollar amount is not what really matters here. What matters here is the thought, the gesture, and the symbolism."

Looking at the ambassadors, he said, " I want to thank you again for your thoughtfulness and your generosity."

Bellamy then turned and presented the check to Linda C. Mathes, chief executive officer of the American Red Cross, National Capital Chapter. The check, he added, stands as a "very noble gesture on behalf of the African Diplomatic Corps and the governments and the people they represent."

Addressing the gathering, Mathes thanked the African ambassadors for a "very generous gift of compassion and financial support. ... Our Red Cross services are made possible by this kind of support," she noted, "so on behalf of the thousands of people who will benefit from your gift, I thank you very, very much."

Mathes said the check will help fund what will be a "long-term" relief and recovery effort in the wake of the September 11 attack, which destroyed the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York and heavily damaged the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense near Washington, known as the Pentagon. "From us to you, thank you very much for taking the time to care and to give," she said.

In an interview following the ceremony, Ambassador Olhaye talked about what motivated him and his colleagues to make such a gift.

"We live here and have been living here for a long time and are part and parcel of the American society. We have seen the American people's generosity towards the victims of the September 11 tragedy. We cannot be here without also doing something similar. ... So we felt in a humble, modest way that we should also show our sympathy to the victims of the tragedy by making the contribution."

Olhaye said the funds were generated from the almost 50 African embassies in Washington -- from the north, south, central, east, and west portions of the continent. "Every embassy made some contributions and we put this all together and put it in one check," he said.

Olhaye noted that ambassadors from southern Africa presented a separate check for victim relief a few weeks ago.

Commenting on the evils of terrorism, Olhaye said: "We are all in the same boat. We are all fighting terrorism. We are all in the coalition and hope we will resolve this thing very soon and eradicate it from the face of the earth."