Statements made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson (Paris, December 23, 2013)
Egypt - Sentencing of liberal activists
Uganda - Adoption by parliament of a bill strengthening the crackdown against homosexuality
CAR
South Sudan
Egypt - Sentencing of liberal activists
France takes note of the harsh prison sentences handed down in the court of first instance to three human rights activists: Ahmed Maher, Ahmed Douma and Mohamed Adel. The handing down of these sentences follows the arrests carried out by the police – including on the premises of a human rights association – on the basis of the new law on demonstrations adopted on November 24.
France shares the concerns expressed by the UN secretary-general and the UN high commissioner for human rights about this law. The sentences handed down yesterday confirm these concerns.
France calls for compliance with the commitments undertaken by the Egyptian authorities in the context of the road map and at the international level with respect to public freedoms, notably the freedom of expression and opinion and the freedom to demonstrate peacefully while respecting public security requirements.
Uganda - Adoption by parliament of a bill strengthening the crackdown against homosexuality
France expresses its concern following the adoption by Uganda’s Parliament of a law strengthening the criminalization of homosexuality in the country.
As the UN high commissioner for human rights reaffirmed, the basic principles of equality and non-discrimination apply to everyone under international human rights law. The provisions penalizing homosexuality are contrary to the international treaties on human rights freely ratified by Uganda.
France reaffirms its commitment in support of the decriminalization of homosexuality and the fight against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. It supports the civil society initiatives aimed at combating these types of discrimination.
CAR
Q - Chadian troops fired on anti-Djotodia demonstrators and killed one of them. What’s your response? Does the Chadian contingent have a role to play in MISCA [AFISM-CAR] in the Central African Republic? Do you still trust Idriss Déby?
France extends its condolences to the victims’ families. It hopes that light will be shed on the conditions governing the use of force against demonstrators.
France reaffirms its wholehearted support for MISCA, the African Union force made up of contingents from Central Africa, which it knows is committed to fulfilling its mandate to protect the civilian populations, with the support of the French force, Sangaris.
We again salute the determination of the heads of state and government of ECCAS to work, in coordination with the African Union, toward the stabilization of the Central African Republic. President Idriss Déby of Chad, in his capacity as current chairman of ECCAS, has played a key role in defining the framework for the political transition in the Central African Republic. He is a key partner and France has full confidence in him.
South Sudan
Q - What is the situation regarding the French citizens in South Sudan?
This morning, 51 French citizens remain in South Sudan. Most of them work for humanitarian organizations.
Our embassy in Juba has again urged them to leave the country.
Several of them should do so in the next few days, depending on the availability of flights.
In this respect, we would like to thank our partners who chartered planes in addition to the commercial flights, enabling several of our compatriots to leave the country over the last few days. We’re also grateful to the UN agencies for ensuring the safety of some of our citizens on the ground.