SECURITY COUNCIL PRESS STATEMENT ON CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

NEW YORK, May 14, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Oh Joon (Republic of Korea):

The members of the Security Council strongly condemned the killing of a French journalist near Bouar, Central African Republic, on 13 May.

The members of the Security Council expressed their condolences to the family of the victim, as well as to the Government of France.

The members of the Security Council recalled that, in accordance with international humanitarian law, journalists, media professionals and associated personnel engaged in dangerous professional missions in areas of armed conflict are generally considered as civilians and shall be respected and protected as such. The members of the Security Council recalled their demand that all parties to an armed conflict comply fully with the obligations applicable to them under international humanitarian law, including as related to the protection of civilians in armed conflict.

The members of the Security Council stressed that those responsible for the killing shall be held accountable.

They called on the Transitional Government of Central African Republic to swiftly investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice.

The members of the Security Council deplored the ongoing violence and killing in the Central African Republic that has resulted in so many lives lost and so much displacement and reiterated their full support for the African Union International Support Mission to the Central African Republic and the French and EU (European Union) forces who support it and called on all parties to cooperate fully with the Mission.