French jets fire on Central African Republic rebels
Nov 30, 2006 (PARIS) — French fighter jets opened fire on rebel positions in the Central African Republic on Thursday as government forces faced resistance in their bid to recapture the northeast of the country, the French military said.
Government troops have pushed north from the eastern diamond mining town of Bria since capturing the northeastern town of Birao earlier this week with French military support, French armed forces spokesman Christophe Prazuck said.
Faced with resistance near the towns of Ouadda, roughly half-way between Bria and rebel-held Birao, and the northern town of Ndele, government forces asked France to send Mirage F1s patrolling the country’s airspace to fire on the rebels.
“In these two areas, the Central African Republic forces encountered quite heavy resistance with, notably, heavy machineguns … which injured a certain number of Central African Republic soldiers and which prevented them from advancing,” Prazuck said.
“Having sustained casualties and being unable to advance, they requested the intervention of the Mirage which was ensuring their aerial cover,” he said, adding that the number of Mirages involved was unclear but it was likely there was more than one.
After seizing Birao on Oct. 30, rebels from the Union of Democratic Forces for Unity (UFDR), who have demanded that President Francois Bozize agree to power-sharing talks, captured other northeastern towns and began advancing south and west.
Bozize, who accused neighbouring Sudan of backing the rebels, appealed to former colonial power France and regional African allies for military assistance.
France reinforced its small military contingent in the country to provide what it says is logistical and intelligence support, as well as help in planning and conducting operations.
Neighbouring Chad and the regional central African group CEMAC have also sent military reinforcements.
Prazuck said he did not know whether government troops had succeeded in seizing Ndele and Ouadda.
(Reuters)