France concerned over fresh fighting in Yemen, urges negotiations

PARIS, Jan 29 (KUNA) -- France on Monday expressed concern over clashes that erupted a day earlier in the Yemeni city of Aden, leading to a number of deaths and injuries.
The clashes involved tank and infantry battles between separatist factions and the Yemeni army.
"France is concerned by the clashes between separatists and the Yemeni army that left several dead on January 28 in Aden. We condemn this violence and call on the parties to exercise restraint and engage in dialogue in order not to hinder the resolution of the crisis," a Foreign Ministry statement said.
Paris also called on all sides to respect obligations to protect local populations and civilian infrastructure and also allow "full, unconditional, unfettered access to humanitarian aid" for the needy.
The statement said that these were "obligations under international humanitarian law (and) are mandatory for all parties." The Foreign Ministry renewed a call for negotiations to find a political solution to the conflict in Yemen and noted this was "the only way to preserve the country's territorial integrity, restore peace and security in the long term and bring an end to a tragic humanitarian situation.
"It is therefore vital for all the Yemeni parties to unconditionally resume the peace negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations," Paris affirmed. (end) jk.sd