France is to aid the Central African Republic’s (CAR) army with logistics and aerial reconnaissance in its fight against rebels in the north-east of the country, the French Foreign Ministry said on Monday.
”Our help will consist essentially of logistic support and providing intelligence thanks to aerial reconnaissance,” spokesperson Jean-Baptiste Mattei said.
”We are concerned about the development of the situation in the north-east of the Central African Republic, which we are monitoring with the greatest attention,” he added.
He added that Paris is in close touch with regional organisations, especially the Economic Community of Central African States, which has a small peacekeeping force stationed in the CAR.
After seizing Birao and Ouadda Djalle in the far north of the CAR, the rebel Union of Democratic Forces for the Rally advanced towards the west on Sunday, threatening the mining town of Bria, about 600km north-east of the capital, Bangui, according to a government official.
”We are not meeting any resistance from the Central African armed forces,” a rebel officer said. ”There has been no fighting since Friday and … many soldiers from the government’s army joined us.”
The former French colony is one of Africa’s poorest countries and government control of the unstable north is tenuous at best. On November 4 the country’s Parliament called on the international community and France in particular to aid it against the rebels. — Sapa-AFP