Sarkozy: “France will never accept the dictate of terrorism”

France, January 9, 2011

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Tuesday that his country will never accept “the dictate of terrorists or terrorism” after the death of two French hostages kidnapped in Niger last Friday.

The head of French state, during his visit the outermost region of Guadalupe, called the “murder” of the two 25 year-olds, kidnapped on Friday in a restaurant in Niamey, a “barbaric act perpetrated by barbarians”.

In the absence of an official version of the circumstances of death, the spokesman of the French Navy, Thierry Burkhard said that everything indicates that the two men were “executed by the terrorists”.

For his part, Prime Minister François Fillon has called a meeting with the presidents of the National Assembly, the Senate, parliamentary groups and committees of Defence and Foreign Affairs of both houses to inform them of “actions taken both in France and in the region (the Sahel) to ensure the safety of the French people against the terrorist threat”.

The Foreign Ministry has recommended to the French extreme caution while traveling in Niger because, “under the terrorist threat hanging over the region, no place can still be regarded as safe”.

Source: Reuters