On Wednesday 26 April – the 20th anniversary of the entry into force of the Chemical Weapons Convention and the founding of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) – France formally accused the Syrian regime of being behind the chemical attack that was carried out on the rebel area of Khan Sheikhoun in early April.
"The use of Sarin leaves no doubt, the responsibility of the regime cannot be doubted given the production process of the Sarin used" and given the operating mode used to disperse the chemical weapon, France's Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault stated, as he presented the findings of a national defence council. According to this document, "the regime still holds chemical warfare agents, in violation of the commitments it took in 2013 to eradicate them".
The same day, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini said the attack on the town of Khan Sheikhoun "reminds us once again of the importance of the full observance of the Chemical Weapons Convention and the important role of the OPCW".
Syria joined the Convention in 2013. It has currently been ratified by 192 countries. Israel has signed it but not ratified it, while North Korea, Egypt and South Sudan do not belong to it.
Mogherini also said that the EU was "fully committed" to ensuring full accountability for any state or non-state actor that used chemical weapons. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant with Mathieu Bion)