Chinanews.com, Beijing, May 26, Freetown News: According to the Associated Press, President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone said on the 25th that the heavy rain in the capital Freetown on the 24th fell on the The country’s Cotton Tree is considered a national treasure.
According to reports, the tree is 70 meters high, about 400 years old, and has been a national symbol of Sierra Leone for decades.
Bio said on social media that the tree’s fall was a great loss for the nation, which was seen by Sierra Leone’s early settlers as a symbol of freedom.
A statement from Sierra Leone’s government news agency, Zebek, said the tree had appeared on the country’s banknotes, featured in a lullaby and had been visited by members of the British royal family, including Queen Elizabeth II. For Sierra Leone, the loss is comparable to the 2019 fire that destroyed Notre Dame Cathedral, Zebek said.
Sierra Leonean poet Oumar Farouk Sesay wrote a poem about the tree, describing it as the country’s Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty, Big Ben, the BBC reported. and other major world landmarks. (over)