France
Practice Relating to Rule 1. The Principle of Distinction between Civilians and Combatants
Section C. Attacks against civilians
France’s LOAC Summary Note (1992) states: “Civilians may not be attacked.”
The manual further considers that “attacks against the civilian population or against individual civilians” constitute grave breaches and thus war crimes.
France’s Code of Defence (2004), as amended in 2008, states that “civilians … are protected persons … It is prohibited for combatants to deliberately target protected persons.”
France’s Penal Code (1992), as amended in 2010, states in its section on war crimes common to both international and non-international armed conflicts: “Intentionally launching attacks against the civilian population as such, or against individual civilians not taking a direct part in hostilities, is punishable by life imprisonment.”
In 1983, in reply to a question in parliament, the French Minister of Foreign Affairs declared that the bombardment of civilian populations in Afghanistan was “just one of the cruel aspects of the war”.
In 1989, in reply to a question in parliament, the French Prime Minister stated that the civilian population had been the target of repeated bombardment and made a solemn appeal to Syria, General Aoun and Doctor Hoss to “stop the deliberate bombardment of the civilian population”.
In a communiqué regarding Rwanda issued in 1994, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned “the bombardments against civilian populations who have fled to Goma in Zaire … These attacks on the security of populations are unacceptable.”
The instructions given to the French armed forces for the conduct of Opération Mistral, simulating a military operation under the right of self-defence or a mandate of the UN Security Council, state: “Neither the civilian population as such nor individual civilians … shall be made the object of attack.”
In a communiqué issued in 1995, the French Minister of Foreign Affairs expressed his distress at “the bombardment of the centre of Sarajevo, which once again had caused numerous casualties among the civilian population of the Bosnian capital”. He further stated: “This barbarous act calls for the most severe condemnation.”
In 1999, in reply to a question in parliament, a French Minister stated:
We are all under the shock of the immense emotion caused by the massacre of 45 civilians in Racak, on 16 January, by the Serbian police. These atrocities have been unanimously condemned by the international community. France has expressed its revolt and distaste, the Prime Minister has denounced this “barbarous act”.
In 2009, the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of France stated:
“Modern” war disgusts us in the tragic consequences it has for civilians …
How could we not be horrified at the sight of bodies, atrociously maimed or burned; the bodies of women, men and children lying in the smoking ruins of their homes …
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… [O]ne of the essential principles of international humanitarian law is that a distinction must be made at all times and in all circumstances between combatants and non-combatants … There are few conflicts in which that principle is fully respected.
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In the face of situations in which civilians are deliberately targeted, the maintenance and the restoration of peace are constant challenges.
France is engaged in numerous peacekeeping operations under UN mandates. The purpose of several of them – first and foremost the European Union operation in eastern Chad and north-eastern Central African Republic – is to provide protection to innocent civilians.
Such protection must involve … the inclusion of the issues surrounding the protection of civilians in mandates for peacekeeping operations.
In 2009, the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of France stated:
Violations of humanitarian law are ever increasing, as the current crises are unfortunately there to remind us, whether we are looking at Darfur, Somalia, Gaza, Sri Lanka or the Kivus. … The means and methods of warfare know no limitation or restraint, [such as] … proportionality in the use of force [and] use of the minimum violence necessary …
We must react!