In a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the chairman of the US bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace said that he wished to “affirm the general thrust and the objectives of the US Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa” while expressing concerns.

“The Strategy fails to mention the critical role local faith-based organizations play within civil society,” said Bishop David Malloy of Rockville (IL). “Valuing and protecting religious freedom are absent from the text.”

Bishop Malloy also asked Secretary Blinken to act within “the context of recognizing the family as the fundamental unit of any society and ensuring due deference for African cultures and traditions.”