U.S. Bishops stand with Mali after terror attacks

Bishop A. Elias Zaidan of the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles, who chairs the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace, wrote on May 19 to Bishop Hassa Florent Koné of the Diocese of San on behalf of the American bishops. The letter followed a series of coordinated terrorist attacks that struck Mali on April 25–26, targeting military positions across the country, including the Kati military base near the capital, Bamako. Mali’s defense minister, Sadio Camara, was among those killed. The assaults were carried out by an al-Qaeda affiliate acting alongside Tuareg rebels.

In his letter, Bishop Zaidan assured the Malian faithful that their American brothers and sisters stood close in spirit. He expressed particular concern for the communities mourning military personnel and civilians killed in the attacks, and for those caring for the wounded.

The bishop also raised broader alarm about what he described as the deteriorating human security situation across the Sahel region, calling for interreligious dialogue as an indispensable tool for rebuilding social cohesion and achieving lasting peace. He praised the work of Catholic Relief Services and the bishops of the region through the Sahel Peace Initiative, and stressed that access to education and economic opportunity for young people are essential to any genuine peace-building effort.

Mali’s own bishops had already responded to the violence. The Episcopal Conference of Mali expressed deep sorrow over the confrontations in Bamako, Sévaré-Mopti, Gao, and Kidal, and extended condolences to the Malian state and to all bereaved families. They prayed for the eternal rest of those who died and for the swift recovery of the injured.

Bishop Zaidan closed his letter with a note of Marian devotion fitting for the month of May, joining the bishops of Mali in entrusting their nation’s path toward truth, unity, and peace to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.