The third plenary assembly of the regional Episcopal Conference of West Africa was held from May 14-20 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, as the Church in Burkina Faso and Niger is under attack by terrorists.

Archbishop Paul Yemboaro Ouédraogo of Bobo-Dioulasso, who is president of the Episcopal Conference of Burkina Faso and Niger, spoke to La Croix about the threat of terrorism in the region.

La Croix: The Catholic Church of Burkina-Niger has been subjected to three terrorist attacks in one week. What is your reaction in the face of these attacks?

Archbishop Ouédraogo: The perpetrators of these acts decided to hit hard. We believe that they have a strategy. About 100 bishops and archbishops have gathered here from all over the West African region. They began to arrive on May 13. I do not think that the attacks on Catholics and our assembly are disconnected. Perhaps the terrorists wanted to frighten those invited to attend the assembly.

We wish to express our compassion towards the families affected by the murders and we pray for those who have been injured.

We appeal to all our people to continue to live together in peace and harmony. We must remain dignified, in faith and hope. We are going to continue going to church and to respect the commandments given to us by God: to love our neighbors and to vanquish evil by doing good.

Some people believe that attacks against Christians are part of the terrorists' strategy to provoke religious and ethnic tensions. What are your thoughts on this?

The terrorists clearly have multiple objectives. They prey on ethnic and religious differences and relational difficulties between the government and the people. I believe that they play on these parameters in order to bring about a destabilized society that lacks social cohesion and in which, by definition, peaceful coexistence would become impossible. However, we are certainly not going to follow them along this trajectory.

We are developing an opposing strategy that consists of spreading love and developing interreligious and intercommunity dialogue among all people. And this is actually what happened during the funerals for the victims of the terrorist attack at Dablo.

Are Christians now being targeted by the terrorists?

We are not the only target. We know that the defense and security forces are a target, as are all government symbols. In some areas, the education system is the target: teachers have been killed. Other religious faiths have been targets, too. A pastor and some his followers were murdered. I believe that the terrorists are seeking to sow terror at every level.

And I also believe that what Christians can do, in the name of Jesus Christ, is to take the risk of remaining serene in their faith and to be all the more resolute in their affirmation of Jesus, the resurrected, who conquers evil and who saved us by loving us even unto death.

Jesus never said that this love would be easy. In moments like these, we can be tempted to avoid our duty to love. However, it is in loving, in forgiving, that we can heal the wounds and to consolidate social cohesion.

The terrorists can attack us, they can kill us, but they cannot prevent us from loving them and from praying for them, so that God may give them more human hearts.

Will security measures be put in place in churches and presbyteries in the exposed areas? Have you had any discussions about this with the authorities?

It is impossible to have soldiers in every church in the exposed areas.
I believe that Christians must continue to go about their parish activities and must not let themselves be affected. Evil may seem to triumph for a time but, in the end, victory belongs to those who cultivate non-violence.

We must all help one another to resist violence. This is why we are appealing to Christians, Muslims and those faithful to traditional religions to remain united.