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France conducted a flyover mission in the Central African Republic on Wednesday, the French Presidency said in a statement. The move follows a dialogue between Central African President Faustin-Archange Touadera and his French equivalent Emmanuel Macron and takes position ahead of a tensely awaited overall election on Sunday.
“At the request of President Touadera, and in agreement with [the UN mission] MINUSCA, the President of the Republic ordered a mission of warplanes to fly over Central African territory,” the Elysée said.
“This mission marks France’s conviction of the attempts to destabilise the country,” the report added.
Rwanda and Russia send troops
Rwanda and Russia have also sent delegations to the Central African Republic as violence approaches the election in the mineral-rich country.
Government forces have clashed with insurgents in recent days as the United Nations’ peacekeeping force tried to prevent a siege of Bangui, the capital.
The government, along with Rwanda, has accused the tensions on former President Francois Bozize, alleging an attempted power grab after the Constitutional Court rejected his application. Bozize faces an international arrest warrant for “crimes against humankind and incitement of genocide.”
Parties in the Democratic Opposition Coalition known as COD-2020 this week said seven of its candidates would pull out of the race, citing the injury.
The parties had wanted the vote to be held, alleging poor preparations and an electoral body led by the president.
A long civil war
The Central African Republic had faced deadly inter-religious and inter-communal fighting since 2013 when predominantly Muslim Seleka rebels seized power from Bozize.
Resistance to Seleka rule ultimately led to Muslims being targeted en masse, with tens of thousands forced from the capital in 2014.
Despite the fact that a 2019 peace negotiation between the regime and rebel groups, intermittent violence and human rights blame have continued.