France: European countries to send forces to central African republic

France said European countries planned to send ground forces for the Central African Republic (CAR) to help in French-led military operations to restore order in the AFrican country. "The European parnters will soon deploy forces on the ground in Central Africa," Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told a National Assembly session but did not name the countries. Fabius's announcement came less than two weeks from the start of the UN-authorized French military operations in CAR, where the European country deployed 1,600 forces to back the African Union-led stabilization mission (MISCA). The French army continues the disarmament of the armed groups and militias in the CAR capital. French President Francois Hollande had said the French intervention would be "rapid and effective" in order to prevent a "humanitarian catastrophe" in CAR.