Another 100 ROC soldiers join CEMAC force in Bangui

Some 100 soldiers from the Republic of Congo (ROC) left the capital, Brazzaville, on Monday in support of an international peacekeeping force of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central African States (known by its French acronym CEMAC) in the Central African Republic (CAR). They will join a contingent of 150 soldiers from the ROC sent there in January. The CEMAC force - created on 2 October 2002 at a regional summit in Libreville - is to comprise troops from Gabon, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, ROC, and Mali, which is not a member of the regional community. International donors had agreed to support a force of 350 men, Martin Mavoungou, the CEMAC force commander-in-chief, told IRIN in the CAR capital, Bangui, on 8 April. The CEMAC force's original mandate was to protect former President Ange-Felix Patasse, reform the CAR army, and monitor the situation along the CAR border with Chad. However, on 15 March, the former army chief of staff, Francois Bozize, ousted Patasse in a coup and declared himself the new president. Fighting left three CEMAC soldiers dead. A redefinition of the CEMAC force's mandate is due to be developed in coming weeks by member states.