{{\u00c2French lawmakers on Tuesday approved an extension of the country’s military operation in the Central African Republic as the UN warned of a potential new bloodbath in the troubled African state. }} <\/p>\n
Despite misgivings among some that French troops have been put into an uncontrollable situation in the former colony, deputies in the National Assembly voted 428-14 (with 21 abstentions) in favour of authorising the mission, which was launched in early December, to continue beyond April.<\/p>\n
The approval had been anticipated with deputies almost unanimously agreeing that, whatever their reservations, pulling out the 2,000 French troops now in the CAR was not a viable option.<\/p>\n
It came as the UN’s refugee body said more than 15,000 people were surrounded and under threat of armed attack in locations in the northwest and southwest of the country. <\/p>\n
UNHCR spokesman Adrian Edwards told reporters in Geneva that the vulnerable — mainly members of the minority Muslim community — were “at very high risk of attack” and urgently needed better security in the form of more international peacekeepers. <\/p>\n
Although the situation in CAR remains extremely volatile, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Tuesday it would have been a lot worse if France had not intervened.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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