France says troop levels sufficient in Central African Republic

[December 10, 2013]  PARIS (Reuters) — France's current force in Central African Republic is sufficient to stabilize the situation in the country, French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Tuesday, after two French soldiers were killed in overnight fighting.

"As it stands, 1,600 French soldiers are progressively disarming militias with assistance from 3,000 African soldiers and soon more," Le Drian told France 2 television.

"With those levels, I think we will progressively be able to restore peace and security in the areas that really need it," he added.

(Reporting by Leigh Thomas; editing by Jeremy Gaunt)

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