France will propose to the other members of the UN Security Council to enforce the peace plan of international mediator Kofi Annan, to avoid further aggravation of the situation in Syria, which is already described as a civil war.
"We must use (the UN) Chapter 7 to enforce the provisions of the Annan plan," said Wednesday the French Foreign Minister, Laurent Fabius, at a press conference. "We work in this direction and we hope that this will occur soon," he added. Chapter 7 is used to impose measures on a country, or it will face sanctions or even use of force.
"We heard today that even China expressed deep concerns. Therefore, the Security Council will move into high gear, and place the Annan plan under Chapter 7," he said.
"I recall that the Annan plan, including steps to stop the violence, the withdrawal of the army from the cities, the delivery of humanitarian aid, all will make possible the political transition in Syria and therefore the departure of Bashar al-Assad," said Laurent Fabius.
France intends to be at the forefront of the action against Bashar al-Assad and his crimes, he added.
The head of French diplomacy believed that Syria was in a state of civil war, and he again called to the end of the regime of the "assassins leader", Bashar al-Assad.
On its part, the Syrian Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that Damascus was fighting against terrorism, rejecting it was in the midst of a civil war, as suggested yesterday by the UN peacekeeping chief, Hervé Ladsous.
On the ground, clashes between rebels and army troops were particularly intense in recent days in the coastal region of Heffe. After a week of shelling, the army claims to have entered this city. According to opposition sources, in fact, as of Tuesday, the rebels had decided to retreat.
The UN has attempted to send observers to Heffe. But they could not access it. Their convoy was blocked by supporters of President Bashar Al-Assad, reports said.
