US Ambassador to Ghana, Stephanie S. Sullivan
• About 3,000 people died in a terrorist attack in the United States of America
• The deceased included four Ghanaians
• The incident happened on September 11, 2001
Today marks 20 years since the United States of America witnessed a terrorist attack that left about 3,000 people including, 4 Ghanaians dead.
US Ambassador to Ghana, Stephanie S. Sullivan, has paid tribute to the lost souls.
These Ghanaians killed during the terrorist attack were Emmanuel Akwasi Afuakwah, Victor Kwarkye, Japhet Jesse Aryee and Sophia B. Addo.
In a press release, sighted by GhanaWeb, she honoured the lives of all who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.
She said, “We mark the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and mourn the nearly 3,000 lives taken too soon. More than 90 countries lost citizens in the attacks, including Ghana, which lost two Ghanaians and two Ghanaian Americans. The people who perished in the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania – including the heroic first responders who gave their lives to help others – left behind loved ones and communities who were never the same. We honour their lives and their memory on this solemn occasion and mourn what we all lost on that terrible day.”
The US ambassador to Ghana advised that for such a disaster not to happen again, security in all countries need to be tightened to make it harder for terrorists to recruit and operate with impunity.
The attack was carried out by some 19 militants associated with the Islamic extremist group Al Qaeda.
The extremist group hijacked and crashed four planes into various targets in the United States.
Two of the planes were flown into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City.
A third plane hit the Pentagon just outside Washington, D.C., and the fourth plane crashed in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Find her statement copied from 3news below :
Ambassador Stephanie Sullivan’s Statement on the 20th Anniversary of 9/11
Tomorrow, we mark the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, and mourn the nearly 3,000 lives taken too soon. More than 90 countries lost citizens in the attacks, including Ghana, which lost two Ghanaians and two Ghanaian Americans. The people who perished in the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania – including the heroic first responders who gave their lives to help others – left behind loved ones and communities who were never the same. We honor their lives and their memory on this solemn occasion and mourn what we all lost on that terrible day.
In the midst of the surreal silence of the skies, when all air traffic was suspended for several days, what really heartened us as Americans was the global outpouring of goodwill and solidarity. It is in that same spirit of solidarity and collaboration that we continue address a common threat to our shared peace and stability. Violent extremism threatens our democratic institutions, our collective security, and our economic prosperity.
Together, we must prevent this global scourge and counter violent extremism where it has already taken root. Building on the lessons of the last 20 years, we know we need to employ a sustainable and agile approach that includes sharing intelligence, building global partnerships, and most importantly, investing in inclusive development, accountable governance, preventive diplomacy, and professionalism in the security services in ways that make it harder for terrorists to recruit and operate with impunity.