World leaders condemn Sri Lanka attacks

THE archbishop of Paris and parishioners of fire-ravaged Notre Dame Cathedral are mourning the victims of the Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka.

Archbishop Michel Aupetit tweeted: “Why so much hate on this day when we celebrate love? On this Easter day, we are in communion with our murdered brethren of Sri Lanka.”

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern condemned the “devastating” attacks, saying the terrorist attacks in Christchurch in March, which killed 50 people, had strengthened her country’s resolve.

European leaders expressed horror at the attacks. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier wrote in a message to his Sri Lankan counterpart that he was “stunned and horrified” by the “cowardly terror attacks”.

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz wrote on Twitter that he was “deeply shaken and concerned by (the) devious terrorist attacks.”

The head of the European Union’s executive Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, said he learned of the bombings “with horror and sadness”.

Three Gulf Arab nations have also condemned the bombings. Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates all issued statements via their foreign ministries over the attack.

The UAE called upon “the international community to close ranks and uproot the scourge of terrorism in order to ensure international peace and security”.

British Prime Minister Theresa May condemned what she called the “truly appalling” attacks in Sri Lanka and Russian President Vladimir Putin denounced the incident as “cruel and cynical”.