2 French Paratroopers Killed in Central African Republic
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Version 0 of 1. PARIS — President François Hollande of France arrived Tuesday in the Central African Republic just hours after the French government announced the death of two French paratroopers. The paratroopers were part of the newly augmented French military force that arrived over the weekend to help stem the increasing violence in the country. The two paratroopers, who were 22 and 23 years old, died in an exchange of fire late Monday night, becoming the first two casualties since the French force, which now totals 1,600 troops, arrived in the country. “They lost their lives to save many others,” Mr. Hollande said, according to French news services. Mr. Hollande stopped in Bangui, the capital, on his way back from South Africa, where he had been attending the memorial service for Nelson Mandela. The French force’s goal is to “bring a minimum of stability” to the country, which has been spiraling into a bloody chaotic civil war, with both Muslims and Christians carrying out attacks on each other over the past eight months, according to a statement released by Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French defense minister. In the last week alone, more than 500 people have been killed in sectarian violence, aid groups told The Associated Press. The French forces will join African peacekeeping soldiers drawn from nearby countries, who thus far have been unable to stabilize the situation. The Central African Republic was part of France’s colonial empire in Africa, and the French have had a modest force of 400 troops there for some time. The Central African Republic’s president, Michel Djotodia, took power in a coup last spring backed by the Seleka rebels, who are now among one of the largest militias destabilizing the country. “The security conditions in Bangui are not good at all,” said a French official who was in Washington for consultations. Seleka has hidden weapons in the city and is using them to carry out attacks, the official added. Adding to the security challenges, the militia has been using uniforms taken from dead Central African Republic troops or acquired through other means. On Monday, in remarks directed at the Central African Republic, President Obama called for calm. The United States has promised to fly Burundian troops to the Central African Republic to help with security. A White House memorandum on Tuesday said the United States would provide as much as $60 million for equipment, training and logistical support for the African-led peacekeeping effort there. The equipment is to be nonlethal in nature, like uniforms and communications gear. <NYT_AUTHOR_ID> <p>Michael R. Gordon contributed reporting from Washington. |