South Sudan – Incident near the UNMISS base in Bentiu (August 19, 2014)
Somalia – Arrest of pirate Mohamed Garfanji (August 17, 2014)
South Sudan – Incident near the UNMISS base in Bentiu (August 19, 2014)
France condemns the gunfire targeted against the base of the UN mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) in the city of Bentiu. Such attacks are unacceptable. France reaffirms its full support for UNMISS in carrying out its mission, notably with respect to implementing its mandate to protect civilians, while the conflict has resulted in the displacement of more than 1,700,000 people.
We call on the parties to uphold the commitment they made on May 9 to the international community to establish a transitional government of national unity.
France reaffirms its full support for the mediation efforts conducted by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and its willingness to adopt at the Security Council restrictive measures against those who impede these efforts.
Lastly, it reaffirms that those responsible for human rights violations should be brought to justice.
Somalia – Arrest of pirate Mohamed Garfanji (August 17, 2014)
France welcomes the arrest by the Somali authorities on August 17 of Mohamed Garfanji. This arrest confirms that Somali pirates can no longer carry out their illegal activities with impunity. We call on the Somali authorities to bring Mr. Garfanji to justice.
France has been involved in efforts to combat piracy in the Gulf of Aden for many years now. It welcomes the determination of the federal and regional authorities of Somalia to definitively eradicate this threat.
We reaffirm that the absence of impunity is key to ensuring the effectiveness of the fight against piracy and requires the strengthening of the judicial mechanisms.