France seeking EC aid to reinforce peace force

France is in consultation with the EC on aid to equip and increase the size of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central African States (CEMAC) peacekeeping force in the Central African Republic (CAR), French Cooperation Minister Pierre Andre Wiltzer said on Friday. "The reinforcement of the CEMAC force is important, especially as the electoral period in the country approaches," he told a news conference in the CAR capital, Bangui, at the end of a two-day visit. He was accompanied by French President Jacques Chirac’s adviser for Africa, Michel De Bonnecorse, and Senator Jacques Legendre, who is also the secretary-general of the organisation of Francophone parliamentarians. Wiltzer's announcement follows several appeals by the 380-man CEMAC force for more men and equipment. France has been and remains the only donor country supporting the force, and has about 200 soldiers in Bangui providing logistics aid. Set up in December 2002 to protect the then president, Ange-Felix Patasse, the force now has 139 troops from Gabon, 121 from the Republic of Congo and 120 from Chad. With the coup that brought the former army chief of staff, Francois Bozize, to power on 15 March, regional heads of state mandated the CEMAC force to secure Bangui, provincial towns and major transport routes in the CAR. Acknowledging that the country's security was a priority, Wiltzer announced that France had started training three CAR army battalions. These were the Bataillon d’Infanterie Territoriale, and two of the Bataillon Mixte d’Intervention et d’Appui. France was also training 30 gendarmerie units to be deployed across the country, he said. "France is determined to finance the [military] sector," Wiltzer said. He added that although security was not yet fully restored across the country, the transitional government was continuing to make efforts to improve the situation, citing the planned handover to a democratic government in January 2005, respect for human rights, restoration of security and eradication of corruption as some of the efforts. He added that, given the government's commitment, "it is justifiable that the EC gradually resume its cooperation with the CAR". Wiltzer’s visit follows that of French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin in July, and comes after France provided the CAR with substantial financial aid. In October, France granted Bangui University 400 million francs CFA (US $750,000); 5 billion francs ($9.3 million) to the government to revamp the state's river transport company and for water drainage projects in Bangui; and €1 million ($1.19 million) to help the government pay civil servants their September salaries.