French Peacekeeping Operations in the Central African Republic

Insecurity has persisted in the Central African Republic since current President Michel Djotodia and his Seleka rebel alliance overthrew the government of former President Francois Bozize in March. In the capital of Bangui, recent confrontations between Bozize loyalists and rebel factions still seeking government control have forced thousands of displaced civilians to congregate around French peacekeeping troops at the international airport in search of protection.

On Aug. 27, fighting broke out in the Boy-Rabe neighborhood in northern Bangui, a district inhabited primarily by Bozize supporters. According to reports, gunfire was heard and houses were burned, forcing several thousand residents to flee to the French-protected Bangui M'Poko International Airport in search of refuge or in hopes of leaving the country altogether. Eventually, civilians fleeing clashes in the nearby Boeing neighborhood began flocking to the airport as well. However, while France's troops have been deployed to deliver logistical and training support to the contingent of African peacekeepers also in Bangui, the French do not have a mandate to ensure order or restore stability.

By Aug. 28, the crowd had reportedly swelled to between 5,000 and 6,000 people. With the 400 French troops stationed at the airport unwilling to offer protection (consistent with their mandate), some of the displaced blocked the runway, forcing all incoming flights to be diverted to Cameroon, and began throwing rocks at French troops, forcing local authorities to intervene with water cannons and tear gas. Nonetheless, the majority of the crowd, consisting mostly of women and children, remained at the airport, continuing to disrupt air traffic. By Aug. 30, most of the crowd had been evacuated from the airport by French and African peacekeepers, and the airport itself has reopened, though many of the civilians continue to protest nearby. As in other former French colonies, French troops are deployed in Central African Republic to protect France's security interests. However, only a small peacekeeping force is present in the country, and the French are unable and unwilling to impose stability in Bangui. These constraints, combined with the inability of Djotodia to control the various Seleka militias, could lead to an international evacuation and could further erode security in the capital.

Comments

Why States Still Use Barrel Bombs

Smoke ascends after a Syrian military helicopter allegedly dropped a barrel bomb over the city of Daraya on Jan. 31.(FADI DIRANI/AFP/Getty Images) Summary Barrel bombs are not especially effective weapons. They are often poorly constructed; they fail to detonate more often than other devices constructed for a similar purpose; and their lack of precision means they can have a disproportionate effect on civilian populations. However, combatants continue to use barrel bombs in conflicts, including in recent and ongoing conflicts in Africa and the Middle East, and they are ideally suited to the requirements of resource-poor states. Analysis Barrel bombs are improvised devices that contain explosive filling and shrapnel packed into a container, often in a cylindrical shape such as a barrel. The devices continue to be dropped on towns all over Syria . Indeed, there have been several documented cases of their use in Iraq over the past months, and residents of the city of Mosul, which was re

Russia Looks East for New Oil Markets

Click to Enlarge In the final years of the Soviet Union, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev began orienting his foreign policy toward Asia in response to a rising Japan. Putin has also piloted a much-touted pivot to Asia, coinciding with renewed U.S. interest in the area. A good expression of intent was Russia's hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in 2012 in Vladivostok, near Russia's borders with China and North Korea. Although its efforts in Asia have been limited by more direct interests in Russia's periphery and in Europe, Moscow recently has been able to look more to the east. Part of this renewed interest involves finding new export markets for Russian hydrocarbons. Russia's economy relies on energy exports, particularly crude oil and natural gas exported via pipeline to the West. However, Western Europe is diversifying its energy sources as new supplies come online out of a desire to reduce its dependence on Russian energy supplies . This has

LONDON POLICE INDIRECTLY ENCOURAGE CRIMINALS TO ATTACK RUSSIAN DIPLOMATIC PROPERTY

ILLUSTRATIVE IMAGE A few days ago an unknown perpetrator trespassed on the territory of the Russian Trade Delegation in London, causing damage to the property and the vehicles belonging to the trade delegation , Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said during the September 12 press briefing. The diplomat revealed the response by the London police was discouraging. Police told that the case does not have any prospects and is likely to be closed. This was made despite the fact that the British law enforcement was provided with video surveillance tapes and detailed information shedding light on the incident. By this byehavior, British law inforcements indirectly encourage criminals to continue attacks on Russian diplomatic property in the UK. Zakharova’s statement on “Trespassing on the Russian Trade Mission premises in London” ( source ): During our briefings, we have repeatedly discussed compliance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, specif

Search This Blog