DHAKA: France has agreed to send 800 extra troops to the Central African Republic (CAR), CAR Prime Minister Nicolas Tiangaye has said.
He said the deployment to the conflict-torn nation would take place after a vote in the UN Security Council - expected next week.
The UN deputy secretary general has called for the council to take urgent action, warning of "complete chaos".
The CAR has been in a state of chaos since rebels seized power in March.
Communal violence
France currently has 410 soldiers in the capital Bangui.
Mr Tiangaye said the deal was reached during his talks in Paris with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius.
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"France has the military, financial and diplomatic means for efficient intervention," Mr Tiangaye said.
He added that Paris was willing to provide even more troops "if needed".
Mr Tiangaye said the extra troops would help patrol a key road from Bangui to the Cameroonian border and also north-western parts of the CAR.
The UN Security Council is expected next week to adopt a resolution, authorising the deployment of African Union troops with French support in the impoverished nation.
UN Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson called for the Security Council to act quickly, saying the country was descending into "complete chaos".
"The CAR is becoming a breeding ground for extremists and armed groups in a region that is already suffering from conflict and instability," he said on Monday.
"If this situation is left to fester, it may develop into a religious and ethnic conflict with long-standing consequences, even a civil war that could spread into neighbouring countries."
Earlier this month, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said communal violence in the CAR risked spiralling out of control.
He warned the Security Council that armed groups were inciting Christians and Muslims against each other.
And Mr Ban backed the establishment of a UN peacekeeping force before the crisis leads to widespread atrocities.
The rebels - known as the Seleka - have replaced President Bozize with their own commander Michel Djotodia.
Armed gangs, mainly former Seleka rebels, who are mostly Muslim, now control most of the landlocked country.
Mr Djotodia has formally disbanded the rebels and integrated many fighters into the national army.
But former rebels linked to Seleka have continued to launch attacks on scores of villages, prompting the emergence of local civilian protection groups.
The government in Bangui denies targeting any group, but recognises the rise in inter-community violence.
Source: BBC
BDST: 1028 HRS, NOV 26, 2013
