All Canadians in Mali hotel reported safe

(Photo from Google Maps)

MONTREAL—All the Canadians known to have been in the hotel in Mali that was stormed by Islamic extremists are safe, Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion said Friday.

A clerk for the House of Commons, an employee of Quebec’s national assembly and a lawyer for McCarthy Tetrault were among the Canadians in the the Radisson Blu hotel in Mali’s capital at the time of the attack.

In a joint statement issued with International Development and La Francophonie Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, Dion said he was “deeply concerned” by the events in Mali.

“Such indiscriminate acts of violence against innocent civilians are unacceptable and are to be condemned,” he said. “All Canadians known to be at the hotel are safe and we are providing assistance.”

A Commons spokeswoman said Patrice Martin, acting deputy principal clerk, was in Mali on a diplomatic support mission.

Heather Bradley confirmed he was safe after being in the hotel during the crisis.

Earlier on Friday, a spokeswoman for Quebec’s national assembly said Maxime Carrier-Legare, an employee of the legislature, was among the freed hostages.

Noemie Cimon-Mattar said Carrier-Legare has been working as an adviser to an association of francophone parliaments since 2011.

A spokeswoman for McCarthy Tetrault confirmed that Pierre Boivin, a partner at the firm, was safe after being taken hostage.

“Both his family and friends at McCarthy Tetrault are tremendously relieved,” Helene Sansoucy said in an email.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said 19 people died—18 in the hotel and one Malian soldier killed in the fighting.

A UN official had earlier said initial reports put the number of dead at 27, but that different casualty figures have been reported and the organization is working with authorities to get an exact total. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the operation was still ongoing.

Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard and the province’s international relations minister, Christine St-Pierre, issued a joint statement condemning the attacks.

The statement from Dion and Bibeau said the Canadian government was working with its embassy in Mali and with its allies to ensure Canadians were safe.