France to send 1,000 troops to Central African RepublicNovember 26, 2013 - 14:35 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - France will send 1,000 troops to Central African Republic to keep growing chaos at bay, the defense minister said Tuesday, Nov 26, announcing his country's second military foray into a troubled former colony this year, the Associated Press reported. The confirmation from Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian came a day after a top U.N. official warned of mass atrocities and possible civil war in one of the world's poorest countries, which has been in turmoil since rebel groups joined forces in March and overthrew the president. The rebels have been accused by rights groups of committing scores of atrocities including killings, rapes and conscription of child soldiers. "It's in collapse and we cannot have a country fall apart like that. There is the violence, massacres and humanitarian chaos that follow a collapse," Le Drian told Europe 1 radio. "It will be a short mission to allow calm and stability to return." France has about 2,800 troops in Mali, an operation that began after rebels and al-Qaida linked militants moved to take over the capital last winter, but Le Drian dismissed any comparisons between the two missions. "In Mali there was an attack of jihadists, terrorists who wanted to transform Mali into a terrorist state. This is a collapse of a country with a potential for religious clashes," he said. "France has international responsibilities." France will accompany an African force of troops from neighboring countries, in a mission expected to last about six months, Le Drian said. In a briefing Monday to the Security Council, UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson said that the situation in the Central African Republic was deteriorating so rapidly — with the country becoming "a breeding ground for extremists and armed groups" and never-before-seen sectarian violence between Muslims and Christians — that a UN peacekeeping force may soon be the only option. Photo: AFP Related links: Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Mirzoyan says meeting with Bayramov was “constructive” At the moment, Ararat Mirzoyan said, there is no basis for additional comments. OSCE vows support for Armenia “in all three directions of security” Achieving stable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan remains a priority of the OSCE, said Ian Borg. 151 detained as civil disobedience campaigns continue in Yerevan Citizens have been blocking streets in the Armenian capital, demanding Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation. France welcomes Armenia-Azerbaijan meeting in Almaty France has welcomed the new round of negotiations between the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan. |