By Nse Anthony-Uko,
ABUJA, (Sundiata Post) – Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Ms. Christine Lagarde, has condemned in strong terms the explosion of a letter bomb at the Paris office of the Fund on Thursday, injuring one person.
“I condemn this cowardly act of violence and reaffirm the IMF’s resolve to continue our work in line with our mandate. We are working closely with the French authorities to investigate this incident and ensure the safety of our staff, Ms Lagarde said in statement on Thursday in Frankfurt, Germany.
According to her, “I have been informed about the explosion in the IMF’s Paris office, which caused injuries to one of our staff. I have been in touch with the office, and my compassion goes to the colleagues there.
A letter bomb exploded at the French office of the IMF, lightly injuring one person, amid heightened security around Europe after a string of deadly attacks.
The incident came as a Greek anarchist group claimed responsibility for a failed letter bomb sent to the German finance ministry on Wednesday.
After Thursday’s explosion in Paris, staff from the IMF office were evacuated and armed military officers and police guarded the area, in a chic district of western Paris.
It is unclear who sent the homemade explosive, which was like a “big firecracker” and sent by regular mail, said Paris police chief Michel Cadot.
He said the IMF office had received threatening phone calls in recent days but they were not necessarily linked to Thursday’s incident.
IMF director Christine Lagarde, who is French, said in a statement that she was informed about the explosion while on a trip to Germany.
“I condemn this cowardly act of violence and reaffirm the IMF’s resolve to continue our work in line with our mandate,” she said.