French fighter jets open fire on Central African rebels

[oberliner]

PARIS (AFP) - French fighter jets opened fire against rebels operating in two towns in the north of the Central African Republic (CAR), France's armed forces told AFP.

"The Mirages fired in two places, in Ouadda and N'Dele, where the Central African armed forces were once more engaged with 14.5 millimetre heavy machine guns," said armed forces chief of staff spokesman Captain Christophe Prazuck.

"They suffered casualties within their ranks and asked each time for the French support to intervene," he said.

The spokesman said the French jets had been "providing aerial backup to the Central African forces which we support."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061130/wl_afp/francecentrafrica

[CAcyclist]

1. Does this mean the violence in Darfur is spreading?

"Central African President Francois Bozize earlier this month called for military help from France to counter the rebels, who he claims have backing from Sudan."

[oberliner]

2. More on the Central African Republic

Central African Republic accused of rights abuses

NEW YORK, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Amnesty International on Thursday accused the Central African Republic of making arbitrary arrests, detaining people without charge or trial for months and keeping them in appalling conditions.

The human rights group released a study of the arrest and detention since the start this year of more than 40 people accused of having ties with armed opposition groups or politicians.

The report found that the impoverished former French colony violated its own laws and international rights laws "by arbitrarily arresting individuals and detaining them for several months without charge, and up to six or more months without trial."

"The government can't just lock people up indefinitely without actually trying them for a crime," said Natalia Taylor Poppeliers, Amnesty International USA's Central African Republic specialist.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N30253752.htm

[Hawkowl]

3. WTF?!?!

Who does the CAR think they are? The U.S?