France to send troops to CAR

UNITED NATIONS

UN deputy secretary-general Eliasson (2nd L) urged the UN to act. AFP photo

France’s defense minister said Nov. 26 that Paris would deploy about 1,000 soldiers to the Central African Republic for six months to support an African peacekeeping force.

“France will support this African mission with about 1,000 soldiers,” Jean-Yves Le Drian said, addding that French troops would act only “in support” of an African stabilization force in Central African Republic “for a short period, in the range of about six months.”

His statement came a day after the U.N. deputy secretary-general said a U.N. peacekeeping operation will be needed in the country, which is descending into “complete chaos” that may lead to religious and ethnic conflict with “mass atrocities” and even civil war.

Jan Eliasson urged the Security Council and the international community to take decisive action to support the African Union-led peace operation in one of the world’s poorest countries and prepare for its transformation into a U.N. peacekeeping operation.