The Local France

French troops go from heroes to villains in CAR

Thu, 05 Jun 2014 17:07:00 +0200

Six months after being welcomed as saviours in the Central African Republic, the 2,000 French soldiers in the country face growing hostility from a population accusing them of failing to curb interfaith violence.

France closes Syria embassy after crackdown

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 16:04:00 +0100

France is to close its Damascus embassy on Tuesday, the foreign ministry said, after President Nicolas Sarkozy announced the move to protest the Syrian regime's bloody crackdown on demonstrators.

Wounded reporters: get us out of Syria

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 18:36:00 +0100

Two French reporters, one badly wounded, begged Thursday for rescue from a besieged Syrian opposition enclave, as President Nicolas Sarkozy branded the deaths of two of their colleagues "murder".

France: Syria will answer for protest deaths

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:34:54 +0200

France condemned Syrian authorities' deadly crackdown on political protests that left scores dead on Sunday and warned that they would answer for the bloodshed.

Angry mob storms French embassy in Syria

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 12:24:00 +0200

Angry mobs stormed the French and American embassies in Syria on Monday, after the two Western envoys visited the city of Hama, a flashpoint for protests against President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Paris summons Syrian ambassador

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 12:21:00 +0200

The French foreign ministry on Sunday summoned Syria's ambassador to France over damage done to the French embassy and a consulate in Syria.

Syria calls in French, US envoys over Hama visit

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 12:35:01 +0200

The Syrian foreign ministry called in the French and US ambassadors on Sunday to deliver a "strong protest" over their visit to the flashpoint central city of Hama last week, state media said.

French envoy in solidarity trip to Syria protest city

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 19:34:00 +0200

France's ambassador to Syria travelled to the flashpoint city of Hama to show solidarity with the victims of a crackdown on anti-government protestors, officials said on Friday.