France to dispatch 140 more troops to Haiti
PLA Daily 2004-03-02
PARIS, March 1 (Xinhuanet) -- France has decided to dispatch 140 foreign legionnaires from French Guyana to reinforce its deployment in Haiti, announced the general staff of France's armed forces on Monday.
"There is an emergency force of some 200 currently being sent to Haiti, and we foresee it being reinforced by a company deployed from Guyana," said armed forces' spokesman Colonel Christian Baptiste, adding: "This will bring our personnel in Haiti to about 350."
"It is expected that the present contingent should be reinforced by a company with a strength of 140 men of the Third Foreign Legion infantry regiment stationed with armed forces in Guyana," said Baptiste.
The first French contingent from the 33rd marine regiment stationed in the Antilles arrived in Port-au-Prince early Monday to protect French nationals in the country, he said.
The French military transport ship Champlain carrying vehicles was navigating to Haiti and the naval commanding frigate Ventose was operating off the Haitian coast.
About 80 French policemen under the Defense Ministry's command also left southern France Monday for Fort-de-France in the French Caribbean territory Martinique, awaiting an eventual intervention in Haiti.
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