AFP: France urges EU allies to sent troops to Chad, CAR force
France urges EU allies to sent troops to Chad, CAR force
French Defence Minister Herve Morin urged his EU counterparts Friday to contribute troops to a new peacekeeping force for Chad and the Central African Republic. "What we want is a truly European mission," said Morin, whose country is expected to provide 1,000-1,500 troops to the UN-mandated operation expected to deploy up to 4,000 soldiers. "The Irish said yesterday (Thursday) that they would send 300 men," he said, ahead of two days of informal talks with his EU counterparts in Evora, central Portugal. Belgium and Poland have pledged more than 100 troops each to the force while other countries like militarily neutral Austria are also considering a role. The mission is aimed at protecting civilians from the effects of the Darfur conflict.
