Republic of Congo condemns attack on its Paris embassy, urges enhanced security

The Republic of Congo government on Wednesday condemned the attack on its embassy in the French capital, Paris, on the night of Monday to Tuesday.

In a statement released in Brazzaville, the Congolese government said the attack whose perpetrators have not yet been identified, resulted in the burning of a section of the embassy offices as well as destruction of materials that were under review.

"The government strongly condemns this terrorist act and urges French authorities to institute a serious inquiry to ensure the perpetrators are brought before a competent court of law," the statement said.

A complaint has already been filed before the French judicial authorities by the Congolese diplomatic authorities which consider the act as "a serious crime" and have demanded that adequate security measures be taken to guarantee the security of Congolese diplomatic services in Paris.

The Congolese government said the attack came a few months after attempts to damage sections of the Congolese Embassy in Paris were noted.

According to reliable sources, the attacks could have been carried out by Congolese nationals living in Paris.

A diplomatic source told Xinhua the Congolese Embassy in Paris has not been guarded for a long period, something that poses a real danger to the offices as well as the staff working there. Endit