PARIS: British and world leaders on Sunday condemned the attacks in Central London, reacting with both outrage and solidarity.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the attack was “a deliberate and cowardly attack on innocent Londoners and visitors to our city enjoying their Saturday night,” adding: “There is no justification whatsoever for such barbaric acts.”
Prime Minister Theresa May confirmed that the “terrible incident in London” was being treated as “a potential act of terrorism” and said she would hold emergency ministerial talks later in the day.
Manchester’s newly-elected mayor Andy Burnham said it was “sickening to hear of the attack” and said he was “sending a message of solidarity from Greater Manchester.” He added: “Terrorism will not break us.”
Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn: “Brutal and shocking incidents reported in London. My thoughts are with the victims and their families. Thank you to the emergency services.”
Scottish Nationalist Party leader Nicola Sturgeon: “Dreadful news from London. My thoughts are with all those affected.”
Chancellor Angela Merkel: “Today we are united across borders in horror and mourning, but also in determination,” she said in a statement. “For Germany, I reiterate that in the fight against all forms of terrorism, we are resolutely at Britain’s side.”
President Donald Trump: “Whatever the United States can do to help out in London and the UK, we will be there — WE ARE WITH YOU. GOD BLESS!“
State department called the assaults “cowardly attacks targeting innocent civilians” and added: “The United States stands ready to provide any assistance authorities in the United Kingdom may request.”
Pop star Ariana Grande whose concert in Manchester last month was the scene of a deadly suicide bombing, tweeted simply: “Praying for London.”
President Vladimir Putin “expresses his profound condolences for the British people and condemns the terrorist attack carried out hours ago in London,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies.
European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker: “Following latest London incidents with horror. Thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. Please stay safe.”
President Emmanuel Macron: “In the face of this new tragedy, France is more than ever at Britain’s side. My thoughts go out to the victims and their loved ones.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: “Awful news from London tonight. We’re monitoring the situation.”
Prime Minister Mark Rutte: “London is in mourning, once again, after a cowardly attack. And we are in mourning with her. Our thoughts and our heart are with the victims and their families.”
Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni: “In memory of the victims and the injured, we stand together in a shared commitment to combatting terrorism.”
“You are not alone,” Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano said.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull: “Prayers and resolute solidarity are today as always with the people of Britain in the face of the shocking terrorist attacks in London.”
Prime Minister Bill English: “New Zealand’s thoughts are with the victims of today’s attack, along with their families and friends. Our hearts go out to you. Too many lives are being taken by terrorists set on inflicting pain and suffering on innocent people.”
Outrage and solidarity over ‘cowardly’ London attacks
Outrage and solidarity over ‘cowardly’ London attacks
‘A den of bandits’: Rwanda closes thousands of evangelical churches
- A 2018 law introduced new rules on health, safety, and financial disclosures, and requires all preachers to have theological training
- Observers say the real reason for the closures comes down to control, noting that even those who complied with the law had been shut down
- President Kagame has described the church as a relic of the colonial period, a chapter of its history with which the country is still grappling
KIGALI: Grace Room Ministries once filled giant stadiums in Rwanda three times a week before the evangelical organization was shut down in May.
It is one of the 10,000 churches reportedly closed by the government for failing to comply with a 2018 law designed to regulate places of worship.
The law introduced new rules on health, safety, and financial disclosures, and requires all preachers to have theological training.
President Paul Kagame has been vocal in his criticisms of the evangelical churches that have sprouted across the small country in Africa’s Great Lakes region.
“If it were up to me I wouldn’t even reopen a single church,” Kagame told a news briefing last month.
“In all the development challenges we are dealing with, the wars... our country’s survival — what is the role of these churches? Are they also providing jobs? Many are just thieving... some churches are just a den of bandits,” he said.
The vast majority of Rwandans are Christian according to a 2024 census, with many now traveling long and costly distances to find places to pray.
Observers say the real reason for the closures comes down to control.
Kagame’s government is saying “there’s no rival in terms of influence,” Louis Gitinywa, a lawyer and political analyst based in Kigali, told AFP.
The ruling party “bristles when an organization or individual gains influence,” he said, a view also expressed to AFP by an anonymous government official.
‘Deceived’
The 2018 law requires churches to submit annual action plans stating how they align with “national values.” All donations must be channelled through registered accounts.
Pastor Sam Rugira, whose two church branches were shut down last year for failing to meet fire safety regulations, said the rules mostly affected new evangelical churches that have “mushroomed” in recent years.
But Kagame has described the church as a relic of the colonial period, a chapter of its history with which the country is still grappling.
“You have been deceived by the colonizers and you let yourself be deceived,” he said in November.
The closure of Grace Room Ministries came as a shock to many across the country.
Pastor Julienne Kabanda, had been drawing massive crowds to the shiny new BK Arena in Kigali when the church’s license was revoked.
The government had cited unauthorized evangelical activities and a failure to submit “annual activity and financial reports.”
AFP was unable to reach Kabanda for comment.
‘Open disdain, disgust’
A church leader in Kigali, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said the president’s “open disdain and disgust” for churches “spells tough times ahead.”
“It is unfair that even those that fulfilled all requirements are still closed,” he added.
But some say the clampdown on places of worship is linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide in which around 800,000 people, mostly ethnic Tutsis, were slaughtered.
Ismael Buchanan a political science lecturer at the National University of Rwanda, told AFP the church could sometimes act as “a conduit of recruitment” for the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), the Hutu militia formed in exile in DR Congo by those who committed the genocide.
“I agree religion and faith have played a key role in healing Rwandans from the emotional and psychological wounds after the genocide, but it also makes no sense to have a church every two kilometers instead of hospitals and schools,” he said.
Pastor Rugira meanwhile suggested the government is “regulating what it doesn’t understand.”
It should instead work with churches to weed out “bad apples” and help them meet requirements, especially when it comes to the donations they rely on to survive, he said.
