Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry headed to Paris Sunday to take part in a silent rally called by French President Francois Hollande.
The silent rally has been called in response to the terrorist attack on satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo last Wednesday.
Egyptian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Badr Abdelatty said the visit is to express Egyptian support for France against terrorism “in all aspects”, ranging from security to funding terrorist organisations, as well as culturally and ideologically combating terrorist groups, a Sunday press statement said.
As France called for an “international mobilisation in honour of Charlie Hebdo”, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development said Friday that it was “extremely touched by all those who have shown their solidarity at this very painful time”.
The attack left nine journalists at the magazine and its editor-in-chief Stephane Charbonnier dead. Two police officers were also killed in the attack, for which Al-Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula claimed responsibility. Media reports quoted eye-witnesses saying the gunmen shouted ‘revenge for the prophet’, before carrying on the execution.
On Friday, four civilian hostages were killed in an exchange of fire, France 24 reported. The perpetuator of the assault, who was also killed, was identified as Amedy Coulibaly. He is said to have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in Iraq and Al-Sham and reportedly had ties to two arrested suspects of the Charlie Hebdo attack.
