Trump has ‘confidence’ in El-Sisi’s leadership after attacks; Pope prays for victims

JEDDAH: US President Donald Trump, Pope Francis and other international leaders on Sunday offered solidarity with Egypt and condemned the terrorist bombing attacks on two Coptic Churches that killed at least 40 people and wounded dozens.
Daesh claim responsible for the bombings at Margarges Church in Tanta and near St. Mark’s Church in Alexandria.
Trump said he is “so sad to hear of the terrorist attack” against the US ally. He said in a tweet on Sunday that he has “great confidence” that Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, “will handle the situation properly.”
The Palm Sunday attacks on Coptic Orthodox churches took place less than a week after Trump welcomed the Egyptian leader to the White House.
The two had reaffirmed their commitment to working together to fight radical groups such as Daesh.
Pope Francis decried a deadly attack on the churches during Palm Sunday celebrations, just weeks before his planned visit to Cairo.
The pontiff expressed his “deep condolences to my brother, Pope Tawadros II, the Coptic church and all of the dear Egyptian nation,” and said he was praying for the dead and wounded in the attack. Word of the bombing came as Francis himself was marking Palm Sunday in St. Peter’s Square.
The pope’s remarks on the church attack were handed to him on a piece of paper after he remembered the victims of the Stockholm attack Friday night.
“Let us pray for the victims of the attack unfortunately carried out today,” said the Argentinian pope, who is due to spend two days in Egypt at the end of April.
In an Angelus prayer, he continued: “I pray for the deceased and the injured. I am close to the families and to the whole community,” which was celebrating Palm Sunday.
“May the Lord convert the heart of those who sow terror, violence and death and also the heart of those who make weapons and trade in them.”
Germany’s Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said in a statement that “the aim of the perpetrators, to drive a wedge between people of different faiths living peacefully side-by-side, mustn’t be allowed to happen.”
Israel has sent its condolences to Egypt and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that it wishes a speedy recovery to the wounded as well. It says “the world has to come together and fight terrorism everywhere.”
Israel has grown closer to the Egyptian leadership over shared interests in the region, including Iran’s growing influence.
French President Francois Hollande said in a written statement that “one more time, Egypt is hit by terrorists who want to destroy its unity and its diversity.”
He said France “mobilizes all its forces in association with the Egyptian authorities in the fight against terrorism,” and offers condolences to the families of the victims.