Chirac and Sarkozy mark the abolition of slavery

The French President, Jacques Chirac, and the man due to take over from him at the Elysee palace, Nicolas Sarkozy, have marked the abolition of slavery at a ceremony in Paris. It is a day of commemoration introduced by the outgoing president last year.

Before the unveiling of a memorial in the Jardin du Luxembourg, Chirac warned that slavery is not a thing of the past. He said even now hundreds of thousands of children, young girls and whole families the world over are victims. The Senagalese singer Youssou N’Dour sang a song entitled “New Africa”.

Afterwards, President-elect Sarkozy met the head of the majority in Lebanon’s parliament, Saad Hariri. He assured the son of the assassinated Lebanese Prime Minister, Rafik al-Hariri, that relations between France and Lebanon would continue in the same vein as under President Chirac.

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