Uganda’s president Yoweri Museveni has eulogized the late President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash, as a patriot and a unifier for his country.
Raisi, who was 63, and the seven others
including his Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, died in the helicopter crash on Sunday while returning from the inauguration of a dam on the border with Azerbaijan.
“On behalf of the People of Uganda, I want to express the most heartfelt condolences to the friends and People of Iran on the death of their President, H.E Ebrahim Raisi.” Museveni said in a statement before adding;
We could easily see that H.E. Raisi was a dedicated worker and unifier for his Country and for the Tri-continental struggle for justice by Asia, Africa, and Latin America and the peace-loving People of Europe. Small things could even show this.
When he visited us recently, we finished the government bilateral functions late, as dusk was gathering. However, he insisted on going to the suburbs at night to visit the pro-people projects Iran had constructed. From there, at night, H.E Raisi, a Shia, visited Old Kampala mosque which belongs to the Sunni sect.
I could see a patriot in His Excellency. It is a pity he died prematurely. May his soul rest in eternal peace.
Signed Yoweri K. Museveni
President of Uganda.
The Ugandan president also signed a condolence book at the Iranian Embassy in Kampala.
On Wednesday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei led prayers at a memorial ceremony for late President and his entourage, at Azadi (Freedom) square in the capital Tehran, amid emotional tributes from leaders across the globe.
Raisi’s body will be taken to his hometown of Mashhad in the country’s northeast, where he will be buried after funeral rites at the Imam Reza Shrine while the remains of others who were killed in the crash will also be sent to their hometowns to be buried.