According to Catholic pontifical organization, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Fr. Hans-Joachim, also known among his friends as Ha-Jo, was an important reference person for interreligious dialogue, teaching at the Institute of Christian-Islamic Education.
ACN announced in February that it was following the situation of the missing Catholic Missionary Priest, with prayers for his safe release.
According to ACN, Fr. Hans-Joachim had for over three decades been a keen champion of religious cohesion in Mali.
The foundation highlighted the Catholic Priest’s deep commitment to inter-religious dialogue in Mali, recalling how he had, for long, been the foundation’s contact person in the West African nation, and had taken part in several events hosted by the Pontifical charity foundation.
During a visit to Switzerland, Fr. Hans-Joachim is said to have expressed his fear concerning religious extremism in Mali, saying, “The jihadists come in groups, on motorcycles, and the local communities have to make deals with them. They are forbidden from ringing church bells and drinking alcohol, and women are forced to wear the veil”.
ACN has called attention several times to the situation endured by Christians in the country, namely in Central Mali, where the Katiba Macina jihadist group, linked to Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), operates.
The member of the Society of the Missionaries of Africa, the Pontifical foundation reports, “was well aware of the danger he faced in his work every day.”
Agnes Aineah is a Kenyan journalist with a background in digital and newspaper reporting. She holds a Master of Arts in Digital Journalism from the Aga Khan University, Graduate School of Media and Communications and a Bachelor's Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communications from Kenya's Moi University. Agnes currently serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.
