AfricaEurope

Other European states to send occupation soldiers to CAR

Laurent FabiusFrance’s Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius says troops from other European countries will join the 1,600 French forces deployed in the Central African Republic (CAR).

“We will soon have troops on the ground provided by our European colleagues,” Fabius told the lower house of the French parliament on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Polish Foreign Minister Donald Tusk said the country is ready for a “limited” operation in the CAR.

“In CAR’s case we will be ready for limited logistical support in terms of aviation,” Tusk said.

“A transport aircraft and a group of soldiers, who would take care of it, is something that is within our possibilities,” the Polish foreign minister stated.

Belgium may dispatch 150 troops to the CAR for “a protection mission”, said a Belgian military source in Brussels.

Other European countries like Britain, Germany and Spain are also present in the country in various forms.

France invaded its former colony on December 5 after the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution giving the African Union and France the go-ahead to send troops to the CAR.

The recent fighting in the CAR began when Christian militias, who support ousted President Francois Bozizé, attacked several Muslim neighborhoods of Bangui.

On December 13, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said that a week of violence had killed 450 people in the capital and had left 160 others dead elsewhere in the country.

There are many mineral resources, including gold and diamond, in the Central African Republic. However, the country is extremely poor and has faced a series of rebellions and coups since it gained independence in 1960.

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