By: Ilyasa Baa
Former Law Marker and patron member of the All People’s Congress (APC), Hon Siragin Rollings Kamara has declared his intention to serve as Ambassador to Israel promising that if he does not deliver within one year, let the President sack him.
He said the bilateral ties between Sierra Leone and Israel will soon translate into massive success for the former if the intention of government to open an Embassy in Jerusalem is implemented. Areas such as the agricultural, educational, electricity and other sectors will scale up with the intervention of the Israelis in a country rated seventh out of ten underdeveloped countries in Africa (Human Development Index 2022).
Moves taken by the ruling Government under the Sierra Leone People’s Party have yielded dividends with regards the setting up of an Embassy in Israel to represent the government and people of Sierra Leone.
The news about Sierra Leone making her presence in Jerusalem was announced on the BBC and it captures the minds of many people including former Law Maker, Siragin Rollings Kamara who since 2005 has been drawing governments’ attention to the Middle East.
“I talked to former President Koroma to invite Israeli Ambassador Gideon Bihar, resident in Dakar to present his credentials for the first time in 34 years. This led President Koroma assigning his then Vice President Samsumana to represent him at the coveted Israeli Diamond Institute Conference in Israel in 2008 “, Rollings Kamara recalled,” from zero during Tejan Kabbah’s era to halfway during Ernest Bai Koroma’s to 100% during President Bio’s , what a land mark achievement”, he informed this medium.
He called on the Church to pay a courtesy call to His Excellency President Bio and thank him for that noting that the establishment of an Embassy that would make it quit easy for Sierra Leonean Christians to attend pilgrimage and see the root of their faith has been the right direction for the country.
He mentioned that President Bio is like King Cyrus in the Bible, noting that former President Koroma had the opportunity to set up the embassy in 2013 but did not until now after President Bio has fought the course Sierra Leoneans can boast of expanding on her foreign mission.
Sierra Leone and Israel have got ties with Israel since 1973 as a result of the Yom Kippur War led by Egypt in alliance with three other Arab nations. Sierra Leone severed these beautiful ties after building our Parliament, the Post Office, Bank of Sierra Leone, Ministerial Building on George Street, Oil Refinery, Benguema, among others.
Meanwhile, the militant Palestinian group Hamas has warned Sierra Leone not to open an Embassy in the controversial Jerusalem spot. Some citizens interviewed have expressed the need for an Embassy in the Middle East to fast track cooperation and national development.