US Military Flights To Assist CAR Intervention Set To Begin Today

A U.S.
military official has said that the military is expecting to begin
transporting Burundian troops to the Central African Republic
today. The troops are to take part in an African Union-led
intervention supported by the French which aims to stop sectarian
violence in the former French colony.

From
CNN:

(CNN) — The U.S. military expects on Thursday to begin
flying Burundi forces into the Central African Republic to help
stop the violence in that war-torn country, according to a U.S.
military official.

The United States has two C-17 aircraft in Uganda that will pick
up the forces in Burundi and unload them in Bangui, the capital.
The official emphasized the U.S. planes will remain on the ground
in Bangui for a very short period due to the violence there.

The official also said the United States believes its planes and
crews will be safe, because French forces control the airport
there. The airlift of Burundi forces is expected to last about a
week. Discussions about what additional assistance the United State
may provide continue.

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