Macron Promises Backing For Christians In Mosul

French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday, August 29, 2021, visited the Iraqi city of Mosul, a former Islamic State bastion that has come to symbolize the destruction from the war against the terrorist group.

Photo Insert: French President Emmanuel Macron meets with the Christian minority in Mosul.

He assured the Christian minority in the city of France's continued support, among other things in the reconstruction of buildings that were destroyed. France is committed to the plurality found in the Middle East, added Macron, who was accompanied by Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, according to Iraqi state news agency INA.

UNESCO, which has been engaged in reconstruction projects since 2018, welcomed Macron's visit. With the help of the EU, the United Arab Emirates, and others, Mosul will rise from the rubble, it said.

Islamic State fighters took control of Mosul in 2014, prompting many Christians to flee out of fear that they could face death. With the help of an international coalition, Iraqi forces recaptured the city between 2016 and 2017.

Between 200,000 and 590,000 Christians currently live in Iraq, according to church and aid organization estimates. At the end of the 1980s, that number was around 1.4 million. Pope Francis made the first-ever papal visit to Iraq in March.

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