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| North Africa |
| Libyan Troops Out of C. African Republic |
| 2002-12-31 |
| Members of a regional security force patrolled the capital of the Central African Republic Tuesday, after Libyan soldiers ended a yearlong deployment to protect the government against a string of coup attempts. The last Libyan forces boarded a plane for home Saturday, state radio reported over the weekend. "G'bye, folks! We're going back to Libya for the shootouts after Muammar dies!" Journalists were not invited to witness the troops' departure. But by Saturday, Libyan soldiers were no longer visible in the capital, Bangui. Probably because they weren't there, since they left... Where do they get these people? Some 230 soldiers from nearby Gabon — the first members of a regional security force expected to number 350 — guarded President Ange-Felix Patasse's residence and circulated in the streets. Troops from Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon and Mali are also expected to join the force. Crack troops, every one... The Libyan troops sent by Moammar Gadhafi in May 2001 helped Patasse's government put down three coup attempts. In Tripoli, Maj. Abdel Baset al-Lafi said Saturday that none of the 81 Libyan soldiers deployed in Central African Republic were killed. But military officials in Bangui said the Libyan force numbered about 300, and at least two members were killed in the last power grab in October — which saw rebels battle their way to within blocks of Patasse's residence. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |