LOC22:14
19:14 GMT
PARIS, Feb 7 (KUNA) -- The French government said on Tuesday it was
"extremely shocked" upon learning of the massive death toll among children in
the Syrian conflict.
UNICEF said in a report earlier in the day that around 400 children had
been killed in Syria since the repression began last March and another 400 had
been detained by security forces and some were tortured and abused.
"We were extremely shocked by the latest figures given by UNICEF concerning
the number of children killed ... in Syria," the Foreign Ministry said in a
statement.
Spokesman Bernard Valero said that the figure of 400 dead is "terrible news.
"
"We knew that children were victims of the repression but this figure is
especially awful," Valero said.
Separately, the French official said Paris was continuing its efforts and
contacts with multiple parties on the Syrian crisis and its "objective" is to
get a halt to the violence.
Foreign Minister Alain Juppe has been in contact with Syrian opposition
leaders and the Secretary-General of the Arab League, Nabil Al-Araby, as well
as with the current head of the Arab League, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem Al-Thani,
Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar. The two Arab League figures
pleaded last week at the UN Security Council for a resolution pressuring
Syria, but this was vetoed by Russia and China.
Contacts are also underway with Turkey to determine that country's
evaluation of the situation and get precisions on Turkish "intentions", the
spokesman indicated.
As a result, the regime in Damascus has increased the pressure and violence
against opposition forces and killed hundreds of people since the resolution
was vetoed last Saturday.
France, along with several European countries and previously the United
States and Britain, decided Tuesday to recall its ambassador in Damascus and a
number of Arab countries, led by the GCC, have told the Syrian ambassadors to
leave. Most GCC nations late last year decided to recall their envoys to Syria
to protest the violence.
France said Tuesday it wanted to "reinforce the international mobilisation"
and support for the Arab League efforts to end the Syrian crisis and also push
the democratic, Syrian opposition to move towards greater unity.
In meetings with Syrian National Council officials on Monday here, Juppe
"urged the SNC to pursue its efforts."
Valero said there was "a dynamic for progress working in the Syrian
opposition" but that "this must continue, expand and broaden."
He stressed that the visit to Syria Tuesday by Russian Foreign Minister
Sergei Lavrov must be an opportunity "make the Damascus regime become aware of
its international isolation and convince it to accept the implementation of
the Arab League plan, the only initiative currently on the table, to end the
ongoing crisis in a peaceful and credible manner."
France said support must be forthcoming for the Arab League plan in order
"to stop the unbearable, savage and barbaric repression" by Syrian security
forces.
After the failure in the Security Council last Saturday, Valero indicated
that attention would now be turned to increasing sanction pressure on Syria
through the European Union, which has already voted multiple rounds of
measures against the regime.
A fresh round of "economic sanctions" is being studied and should be
rapidly adopted. (end)
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KUNA 072214 Feb 12NNNN