From Emmanuel Macron to Volodymyr Zelensky, via China, international reactions to the January 1 vehicle-ramming terrorist attack in the French Quarter of New Orleans, in the United States, killing at least 14 people and injuring 35 others, poured in.
If the reactions of American President Joe Biden and his elected successor, Donald Trump, were somewhat delayed, many leaders and diplomats reacted to the tragedy that occurred in the French Quarter of New Orleans, in the United States, targeted by a terrorist attack this Wednesday, January 1. Indeed, a man, driving a ram vehicle, drove into the crowd, killing 14 people and injuring 35 others.
The President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron was one of the first to send his “thoughts” to the “families of the victims and the injured” by publishing a message in English on X: “New Orleans, a city so dear to the hearts of French, was hit by terrorism. Our thoughts are with the families of the victims and those injured, as well as with the American people, whose pain we share.” In December 2022, he visited New Orleans, a city founded in 1718 by French settlers.
Shortly after its publication, the head of European diplomacy Kaja Kallas expressed, on X, her “total solidarity with the victims and their families in this tragic period”. “There is no excuse for such violence,” she added.
Ukraine, Israel, Türkiye, Germany, China
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his country’s support on the same social network “alongside the American people.” “We are horrified by the attack in New Orleans, United States, which cost innocent lives and left many injured. We hope that those responsible for this terrible act will be brought to justice. Violence, terrorism and any threat to human life have no place in our world and must not be tolerated.”
Another diplomat caught in conflict, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, offered his “sincere condolences to the families of the victims” while wishing a “speedy recovery to the two injured Israeli citizens and all those injured.”
Andreas Michaelis, the German ambassador to Washington, said he was “shocked and saddened by the horrific events in New Orleans.” The diplomat recalled, in his press release, the car-ramming attack on December 20 on the Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, leaving at least five dead and more than 200 injured.
At a press conference in Beijing, Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs: “We are shocked by this violent incident, we pay tribute to the victims and send our thoughts to the bereaved families as well as the injured . China firmly opposes any acts of violence or terrorism targeting civilians.”
“We are deeply saddened by the attack in New Orleans. We extend our condolences to the families and friends of those who lost their lives. We hope that the motive for the attack will be revealed as quickly as possible and that those responsible will answer for their actions before the courts,” shared the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a press release.
According to the first elements of the investigation, the alleged perpetrator, identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old former soldier, was fiercely “determined” to cause “carnage”. He fled after exchanges of fire and was killed. According to an FBI release, Shamsud-Din Jabbar was a United States citizen born in Texas. He is a former soldier. An ISIS flag was found in the pickup truck used in the attack, according to US federal police.
