Religious Leaders in Mali Appeal for Peace, Dialogue amid Protests

“We are calling on the entire Christian community to pray for a return to peace in our country,” the 76-year-old Cardinal implored.

At the beginning of the week, Malian authorities freed political opponents who had been detained by security agencies following protests against the president over the weekend, a media report indicates.

“The demonstrations are being driven by the M5-RFP, a disparate group of religious leaders, political and civil society members calling for "civil disobedience", including non-payment of fines and blocking entry to state buildings,” Aljazeera reported July 14.

In a separate interview with ORTM, the President of the High Islamic Council of Mali (HCI), Cherif Ousmane Madani Hadaira, appealed for peaceful resolution of the standoff and proposed dialogue as “the only means of finding a solution to the current crisis.”

“I call on the citizens to calm down. Whatever the difficulties, when we engage in a real dialogue, we can have a solution,” the Muslim leader told ORTM in an interview.

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He pointed out that “the current situation will only aggravate the country’s difficulties” and assured the citizens that the religious leaders are doing their best to help find solutions to the unrest.

Cherif Ousmane also called on President Keïta to release the members of the M5-RFP who were arrested after the demonstrations and invited him to dialogue with them. 

“We have to talk to each other; we have to tell ourselves the truth,” Cherif Ousmane said and reiterated, “All that can bring the country out of the crisis is dialogue.”  

Also speaking during to ORTM, the President of the Association of Evangelical Protestant Church Groups and Mission in Mali (AGEMPEM), Rev. Nouh Ag Infa Yattara, said “No son, no daughter can be indifferent to this situation. Only dialogue can resolve the current crisis.”

Rev. Yattara called on the faithful exercise calmness and to pray for peace in Mali saying, “We appeal for calm to all Malians. AGEMPEM particularly calls on all the evangelical Christian faithful to pray for the restoration of all wounded hearts in all the bereaved families and prompt recovery to the wounded.”

Last month, Cardinal Zerbo challenged religious leaders to take up the role of safeguarding peace in the example of sentinels and foster dialogue to end the protracted armed conflict in the West African nation.

“It is also essential to always keep prayer alive for the country and for the protagonists so that God converts the heart,” the Malian Cardinal had said, adding, “Now, it can be said, that the heart of many is of stone, it is up to us to make it flesh. Religions here seek a common line to promote peace.”

Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.