Kenya’s Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has sent a message to the whole world after attack on a Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg on Friday, December 20, 2024.
Odinga said he is shocked and saddened by the senseless attack which claimed five lives and left over 200 injured.
He stated that Magdeburg holds a special place in his heart not just a beautiful city, but also the backdrop to his journey as a Mechanical Engineering student.
“My thoughts and prayers are with all who have lost loved ones in this heartbreaking event. May they find solace in this season of goodwill and compassion,” he said.
Raila Calls for World Peace
He called on everyone to embrace understanding and learn to live peacefully with one another.
Odinga said the world will be a safe place if everyone strives for harmony while accepting their differences.
“In times like these, it’s clear that our world would be a safer, more harmonious place if we could embrace our differences, foster tolerance for divergent views, and truly learn to coexist in peace with one another. Let us strive for understanding and unity in the face of adversity,” he said.
Germany Attack
German officials said a 9-year-old was among the victims in the vehicle-ramming attack on a Christmas market in Magdeburg.
Minister President of Saxony-Anhalt, Reiner Haseloff, said a car plowed into festive market-goers in the eastern German city, injuring at least 200 people.
The city is located around 75 miles west of the capital Berlin.
Police said the Magdeburg Christmas market will be closed for the remainder of the festive season.
Additionally, the police revealed at least 41 of those injured in the attack are in serious condition.
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Suspect Arrested
Haseloff said a suspect, a doctor from Saudi Arabia aged around 50, was arrested.
The man has lived in Germany since 2006.
The minister added that a rental car was used in the attack. According to police, the suspect will face five counts of murder and grievous bodily harm.
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German media reported the suspect’s name as “Taleb A.,” following the convention of withholding the full names of criminal suspects.
Horst Walter Nopens, head of the Magdeburg Public Prosecutor’s office, confirmed the first name.
Reuters later released an image of the suspect, identifying him as Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, sourcing his full name and image from the US-based activist group RAIR Foundation USA.
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