LOC15:16
12:16 GMT
PARIS, Dec 26 (KUNA) -- France on Monday called on Syria to provide
immediate access to the city of Homs by Arab League observers and expressed
deep concern about the military operations in that city.
"France expresses deep concern faced with the continued deterioration of
the situation in Homs, where bombardments by the military security forces
again killed (a dozen) people among civilians yesterday during the day and the
Bab Amro district is currently under fire from heavy weapons by the Syrian
army," an official statement said.
The Foreign Ministry here noted that the repression in Syria has gotten
worse over the past weeks.
In view of this, the statement said, "the authorities in Damascus must
imperatively this afternoon allow access by observers to Homs, where violence
is particularly bloody, in conformity with the Arab League plan."
Paris recalled that the deployment of observers aims to register if the
Syrian government was ending the violence and that Damascus had accepted this
as part of the Arab League agreement.
Syria must also release political prisoners, send the army back to barracks
and allow foreign journalists into the country, the statement added. (end)
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KUNA 261516 Dec 11NNNN