France says more troops needed in Central African Republic
Iran Press TV
Sat Mar 22, 2014 9:19AM GMT
French President Francois Hollande has urged European countries to immediately provide enough troops to be deployed in the Central African Republic.
"Five hundred personnel are needed. There are currently only 375, so more effort must be made," Hollande told a press conference in Brussels after a Friday summit of the European Union.
"I insisted to the heads of government that had already made gestures or promises that we have adequate forces by Monday," Hollande stated.
The French president described the need for achieving the number as vital to "Europe's credibility."
Meanwhile, faint signs of reconciliation have emerged for the Central African Republic after a Christian armed group, which has killed hundreds of Muslims and displaced tens of thousands over the past weeks, said on Friday that it was announced prepared to give up arms following a meeting with the government.
The UN has described the displacement of the Muslims of the Central African Republic as ethnic-religious cleansing.
The conflict in the country erupted after Christian armed men launched coordinated attacks on the mostly Muslim Seleka group, which toppled the government last March.
French and African peacekeeping forces are on the ground in the Central African Republic, but they have been unable to end the carnage and even in some occasions they have been accused of killing Muslims.
France currently has around 2,000 troops in the country, while the African Union has three times that number.
Thousands of people are believed to have been killed and more than one million displaced due to the crisis in the Central African Republic over the past few months.
ASH/HSN
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