Less than a week after a French deputy argued the French government should not intervene in the ongoing crisis in its former colony Congo-Brazzaville, Congolese activists are launching a campaign to put pressure on the French government. Formerly named the French Congo after , today's Congo-Brazzaville or Republic of the Congo was rocked by a significant outbreak of violence on 4 April on the day the Constitutional Court published final election results showing President Denis Sassou-Nguesso had won a hotly contested March presidential poll.
While the Congolese opposition rejected the results, it has also claimed hundreds of civilians may have been killed and more than 2, displaced in air strikes carried out by Sassou Nguesso's government on residential areas in Pool, the south-eastern region of the oil and timber-rich nation.
In a statement published on 19 April, the French Ministry of Foreign affairs said it is "following with concern the situation in Congo, particularly in the Pool region, where there are reports of military activities that could have affected civilian populations" but has up to now been silent.
Read more: Why is yet another African state descending into chaos? Asked about his position with regards to the Congo-Brazzaville, Terrot rejected any interference, saying the international community, particularly France, should "just watch and observe" how the situation evolves.
It is not for France to issue certificates of good or bad behaviour. I was flabbergasted: whether you are white or black, democracy cannot always be the same for all? During the recent crisis that left many dead, the government remained silent β no meeting, little declarations β and now that we are putting pressure on the French government to obtain a clear position, these political dinosaurs wake up to say these ridiculous statements.
