France defends fighter attacks on CAR rebels
Source: Reuters
PARIS, Dec 7 (Reuters) - France defended on Thursday its decision to send fighter jets to attack rebel forces in the Central African Republic, saying it was helping to maintain stability but its forces there had only a supporting role. French Mirage F1 jets have repeatedly intervened in the past two weeks as government forces struggled to repel rebels they say entered the northeast from Sudan's troubled Darfur region. "Yes we are preoccupied by stability in the region. Yes we want to ensure that those who seek to destabilise the region cannot achieve their objectives," defence ministry spokesman Jean-Francois Bureau said when asked about the attacks. "If we did nothing, the Darfur crisis would spread to the whole region," he told a weekly news conference. France has about 300 troops stationed in the CAR to provide logistical and intelligence support, and to help plan and conduct operations without taking part in any fighting. France also has troops stationed in neighbouring Chad, which also borders Darfur. "We have made commitments to Chad and Central African Republic, and it is clear that we will not shirk our commitments," Bureau said. Asked whether the French jets had used bombs rather than guns against the rebel forces, armed forces spokesman Christophe Prazuck simply said they had that option. "The Mirage F1s that support the Central African Republic armed forces can be equipped with guns or bombs, and they use the instruments that are at their disposal depending on the situation," he told reporters.
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