Anita Datar was in the West African country as part of an international development project when she was killed in a hotel siege on Friday.
The only American among the at least 19 people killed when terrorists laid siege to a hotel in Mali on Friday was also an acquaintance of Hillary Clinton's.
The presidential hopeful detailed her relationship with Datar in a statement on Saturday:
"I knew Anita as the loving mother of a wonderful seven-year old boy and the former partner of David Garten, one of my senior policy advisors in the Senate," Clinton wrote. "My prayers are with the Datar and Garten families, especially Anita and David's son. My heart breaks thinking of the burden he will now bear on his small shoulders and the courage he will have to show in the days ahead."
Read: American Killed in Attack on Luxury Hotel in Mali That Left At Least 19 Dead
Datar, 41, was killed at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Bamako, where more than 100 people were taken hostage just one week after at least 130 people were killed by violent extremists in Paris.
Clinton appeared to address the Paris attacks in her response to Datar's murder.
"As I said this week, America must wage and win an immediate battle against ISIS, al Qaeda, and other terrorist networks, as well as a generational struggle against radical jihadism," Clinton added.
"We face a choice between fear and resolve. Anita's murder should deepen our resolve. American must lead the world to meet this threat."
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Datar was a former Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal whose LinkedIn profile lists her current position as Senior Manager, Field Programs at Palladium: International Development.
According to the Washington Post she was in Mali as part of her work as a global health policy expert.
Friends said it was her first time back in West Africa since volunteering in Senegal.
Watch Below: Hostages Freed from Mali Hotel After Jihadists Attack
