This is an entry from: LIVE BLOG: Paris Charlie Hebdo chase
Sarkozy: 'War has been declared on France'
9 January 2015 20:05 GMT
In a statement, former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has said that the events of the past few days constitute a declaration of war.
"War has been declared on France," said the former leader, who stepped down after losing elections in 2012, "on her institutions, on the Republic, by savages who negate the very existence of civilization and the universal values of humanism.
"This tragic situation has called upon each of us to respect national unity, which we owe to the victims.
"France must show herself strong and firm, to guarantee the safety of our compatriots, the respect for our way of life and our capacity to ensure to every person the liberty to say what thinks".
