https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from France in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed UPDATED: France has denied any cover-up after allegations its soldiers raped young boys in the Central African Republic. Paris has opened up a formal investigation, with President Hollande promising "no mercy" if the troops are found guilty. https://www.thelocal.fr/20150430/france-probes-soldiers-rape-central-african-republic Thu, 30 Apr 2015 17:02:59 +0200 france-probes-soldiers-rape-central-african-republic Six months after being welcomed as saviours in the Central African Republic, the 2,000 French soldiers in the country face growing hostility from a population accusing them of failing to curb interfaith violence. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140605/french-troops-go-from-heroes-to-villains-in-central-africa Thu, 05 Jun 2014 17:07:00 +0200 french-troops-go-from-heroes-to-villains-in-central-africa French MPs gave their approval on Tuesday to an extension of the country's military operation in the Central African Republic as the UN warned of a potential new bloodbath in the troubled African state. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140226/french-mps-vote-to-extend-car-mission Wed, 26 Feb 2014 10:11:00 +0100 french-mps-vote-to-extend-car-mission France's chances of making an swift exit from Central African Republic (CAR) appear slim with the leader of the strife-torn country pleading with Paris to keep its troops there until 2015. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140218/france-central-african-republic-asked-to-keep-troops-in-car-until-2015 Tue, 18 Feb 2014 10:05:49 +0100 france-central-african-republic-asked-to-keep-troops-in-car-until-2015 French troops were out in force on the streets of the Central African Republic's capital on Friday as they sought to clamp down after days of violence. https://www.thelocal.fr/20131227/french-troops-out-in-force-in-strife-hit-car-capital Fri, 27 Dec 2013 18:41:00 +0100 french-troops-out-in-force-in-strife-hit-car-capital The French military has removed a picture from an army website in which one of its soldiers deployed in the Central African Republic was sporting an insignia with a Nazi slogan and said he will be suspended as soon as he is identified. https://www.thelocal.fr/20131221/french-army-to-suspend-nazi-slogan-soldier Sat, 21 Dec 2013 11:57:00 +0100 french-army-to-suspend-nazi-slogan-soldier France will "soon" have military support from other European countries on the ground in strife-torn Central African Republic, the country's Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Tuesday. But he did not specify which countries would send troops. https://www.thelocal.fr/20131217/europe-to-send Tue, 17 Dec 2013 17:46:00 +0100 europe-to-send French President François Hollande admitted on Tuesday that France's intervention in the Central African Republic was "dangerous" but vital to avoid a bloodbath. The head of state paid a visit to French troops in CAR on Tuesday night, a day after two were killed by rebels. https://www.thelocal.fr/20131211/hollande-admits-intervention-in-car-is-dangerous Wed, 11 Dec 2013 09:49:00 +0100 hollande-admits-intervention-in-car-is-dangerous France on Saturday committed itself to helping establish and finance a pan-African military force capable of intervening in crises like the current conflict in the Central African Republic. https://www.thelocal.fr/20131208/france-to-ask-eu-allies-to-fund-car-military-force Sun, 08 Dec 2013 10:58:11 +0100 france-to-ask-eu-allies-to-fund-car-military-force French troops patrolled the Central African Republic's tense capital on Saturday, as reinforcements crossed into the country as part of a UN-mandated effort to quell a wave of deadly sectarian violence. https://www.thelocal.fr/20131207/french-troops-patrol-tense-bangui-after-deadly-clashes Sat, 07 Dec 2013 17:05:00 +0100 french-troops-patrol-tense-bangui-after-deadly-clashes French troops killed several armed men on Thursday in a clash near the airport in the Central African Republic's capital Bangui, the army said. https://www.thelocal.fr/20131206/french-troops-killed-several-armed-people-in-car-army Fri, 06 Dec 2013 18:26:00 +0100 french-troops-killed-several-armed-people-in-car-army Paris will host a mini-summit on December 7th on the crisis in strife-torn Central African Republic, with leaders from neighbouring African countries and UN chief Ban Ki-moon due to attend, the French presidency said Saturday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20131201/paris-to-host-car-crisis-mini-summit Sun, 01 Dec 2013 08:45:00 +0100 paris-to-host-car-crisis-mini-summit France called on Saturday for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council in response to the worsening situation in the Central African Republic, a spokesman at the Élysée palace said. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130324/paris-calls-for-unsc-meeting-after-rebels-enter-bangui Sun, 24 Mar 2013 10:06:00 +0100 paris-calls-for-unsc-meeting-after-rebels-enter-bangui Foreigners said Thursday they feared a spiral of looting and violence as rebels advance on the capital of the Central African Republic, wracked by turmoil since independence from France in 1960. https://www.thelocal.fr/20121227/french-expats-voice-fears-over-central-african-violence Thu, 27 Dec 2012 18:23:00 +0100 french-expats-voice-fears-over-central-african-violence President François Hollande said on Thursday that French troops would not interfere in the internal affairs of its former colony the Central African Republic, where rebels have seized a large chunk of territory in recent weeks. https://www.thelocal.fr/20121227/hollande-vows-not-to-intervene-in-central-africa Thu, 27 Dec 2012 12:03:00 +0100 hollande-vows-not-to-intervene-in-central-africa Angry demonstrators hurled projectiles and tore down the French flag at France's embassy in the Central African Republic capital Bangui on Wednesday, protesting at a lack of help to deter rebels who have occupied a large swathe of the country. https://www.thelocal.fr/20121226/french-embassy-under-attack-in-former-colony Wed, 26 Dec 2012 18:06:21 +0100 french-embassy-under-attack-in-former-colony French customs officials on Thursday fined former Central African prime minister Martin Ziguele after he was found carrying 11.8 kilograms of bushmeat, mainly monkey, on his arrival at Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport. https://www.thelocal.fr/20121026/african-leader-caught-smuggling-monkey-meat-into-france Fri, 26 Oct 2012 13:28:00 +0200 african-leader-caught-smuggling-monkey-meat-into-france