Stars and Stripes
December 9, 2013
US Air Force to begin flying peacekeepers to troubled African nation
By Chris Carroll
DOHA, Qatar:The U.S. Air Force will begin transporting planeloads of African peacekeepers into the violence-torn Central African Republic in coming days, the Pentagon announced Monday.
French Minister of Defense Jean-Yves Le Drian on Sunday asked Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, in the midst of a five-country visit to the Middle East, for airlift support to help African forces to quickly deploy into the country.
“In response to this request, Secretary Hagel has directed U.S. AFRICOM to begin transporting forces from Burundi to the Central African Republic, in coordination with France,” assistant Pentagon press secretary Carl Woog said Monday.
The airlift is expected to begin within the next 24 hours, according to Pentagon spokesman Maj. Rob Firman, adding that 850 Burundian troops will be airlifted from Burundi to CAR in American C-17s. Flying time is approximately 3 hours from Burundi to CAR, he said.
France is deploying 1,600 troops to the country, a former colony that has been wracked by violence in recent days of sectarian fighting between the Seleka rebel coalition, a Muslim group that seized power in April, and Christians in the country.
French officials announced Saturday that the African Union would increase its peacekeeping force to 6,000 troops to attempt to quell fighting that has claimed hundreds of lives in recent days.
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Stars and Stripes reporter Jon Harper contributed to this report.
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