Hollande heads to CAR as losses underline mission risk

President Francois Hollande headed today to the Central African Republic on a mission to shore up the morale of a French intervention force after the death of two of the country's elite soldiers.
The first losses of the French campaign to pacify its former colony underlined the risks involved in a complex mission to disarm rogue rebels who have plunged the impoverished country into chaos.
Antoine Le Quinio, 22, and Nicolas Vokaer, 23, both members of the crack Eighth Parachute regiment based at Castres in southwestern France, died after a fierce firefight during a night patrol in the capital Bangui, where bloody sectarian clashes left hundreds dead last week.

Hollande was due to stop in Bangui today evening, on his way back from Nelson Mandela's memorial, and was expected to stress that the soldiers' deaths would have no impact on the tactics or the size of the 1,600-strong French force.
In a statement earlier today, Hollande said the two paratroopers had given their lives to save many more.
The Socialist leader was due to meet in Bangui with Michel Djotodia, the country's interim president and the man who was instrumental in creating the chaotic current situation by leading the so-called Seleka rebellion that began 12 months ago.

The French troops are in the country to support an African contingent that is due to grow from 2,500 men. But so far it has been the French who have been at the sharp end of the operation.

Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian voiced confidence that the French force was sufficiently robust to get the job done.
On the incident that the led to the soldiers' deaths, he said: "There was an unusually violent confrontation. The two soldiers were brought back to the army hospital at the airport but they died of their injuries.
"There is no such thing as an easy military operation. There is always a lot of risk, but it is vital that we disarm these militias.