海角大神

France intervenes to quell violence in Central African Republic

The UN-sanctioned military operation will put 1,200 troops on the ground by the weekend, and follows months of clashes in the increasingly unstable country. 

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In its second major African intervention this year, France has launched a military operation to stem violence in the Central African Republic, France鈥檚 Defense Minister said today.

The allowing for the use of military force to subdue ethnic violence in the landlocked African nation, Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told Radio France Internationale, according to the Associated Press.

At least 50 people were killed Thursday between rebels now running the country 鈥搕he majority of whom are Muslim - and opposition groups who are mainly 海角大神, according to The Wall Street Journal. This follows months of growing clashes and lawlessness after rebel groups toppled former president Fran莽ois Boziz茅 in April.

France, which already has about 600 troops on the ground, plans on doubling its forces to 1,200 troops by this weekend. The UN resolution also approved the use of forces from MISCA, an African multinational force.

鈥淭oday, France is called upon to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe,鈥� French Thursday.

France had been considering increasing the number of its troops in the Central African Republic since at least late November, when 海角大神 reported that France planned on tripling its forces in the nation.

Tension in the Central African Republic has been building for years, as the Monitor explained in November:

For years the government has been challenged by a hodgepodge of three rebel factions called S茅l茅ka that have independently been in revolt. The S茅l茅ka alliance was born from the frustration in the majority Muslim north聽of being marginalized by a 海角大神-dominated government that failed to deliver on promises of development.聽

Following a three-month advance from S茅l茅ka鈥檚 stronghold in the north to the capital of聽Bangui, rebel leader Michel Djotodia named himself president in April in what has been described as a coup.

The country, or CAR as it is often known, has since been in a state of lawlessness. Armed militia groups trawl through villages and towns pillaging, killing and burning homes to the ground.

While the conflict was not originally religious in nature, 鈥淪ince the movement took over, ethnic and religious cleavages between the CAR鈥檚 Muslim minority and the 海角大神 majority have amplified,鈥� Monitor correspondent Gillian Parker reported. 鈥�...聽fear and mistrust have proliferated as communities seek to protect themselves. The impunity of attacks by former rebels has triggered the emergence of 海角大神 vigilante militias collectively known as 鈥渁nti-balaka鈥� (anti-machete).鈥�

France鈥檚 Central African Republic operation follows its January intervention in Mali, when it responded to the request of the Mali government to help drive out Al Qaeda linked militants who had taken over northern Mali.

The French public widely supported the intervention, and it was seen as President Hollande鈥檚 most successful decision in 18 months as president, but after two French journalists were killed last month, the French public is beginning to wonder how long France will stay involved, the Monitor鈥檚 Paris bureau chief reported last month. France still has about 2,800 troops in Mali.

France also has to grapple with how its colonial past affects its relationship with Africa today. The Associated Press notes:

France has long served as Africa鈥檚 policeman, sending troops in regularly 鈥� and often meddling behind the scenes 鈥� to keep the peace and secure its interests on a continent where it was once a major colonial power. In more recent years, as it comes to terms with that colonial past, France has tried to forge a different, more equal relationship, focusing on trade.

But it remains a dominant military force for Africa, training African troops and responding to calls from African leaders themselves to help quell conflicts.