FRANCE - FRANCOIS MITTERAND PLACES PLANS FOR AFRICAN PEACEKEEPING FORCE HIGH ON AGENDA FOR TWO-DAY GATHERING OF AFRICAN LEADERS

Record ID: 350249

  • Title: FRANCE - FRANCOIS MITTERAND PLACES PLANS FOR AFRICAN PEACEKEEPING FORCE HIGH ON AGENDA FOR TWO-DAY GATHERING OF AFRICAN LEADERS
  • Date: 9th November 1994
  • Summary: BIARRITZ, FRANCE (NOVEMBER 9, 1994) (REUTERS TELEVISON - AVAILABLE ALL) 1. EXT. SV PANS SENEGALESE LEADER ABDOU DIOUF ARRIVING, SALUTES HONARY SOLDIERS ALIGNED 0.08 2. SV/PAN ZAIRE PRESIDENT MOBUTU SESE SEKO ARRIVING (2 SHOTS) 0.31 3. GV INT.OF CONFERENCE 0.36 4. SV PANS FRENCH PRESIDENT FRANCOIS MITTERRAND TAKING
  • Embargoed: 24th November 1994 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BIARRITZ, FRANCE
  • City:
  • Country: France
  • Reuters ID: LVA84VENB2IVWQHHWLM415NQGGP6
  • Story Text: French President Francois Mitterrand on Wednesday (November 9)placed his plans for an African peace-keeping force high on the agend at the end of two-day gathering of African leaders.

    Other topics - before a record number of 27 heads of state and total of 35 delegations - include democratic reform and the effect of January's devaluation of the French-backed CFA franc.

    On Tuesday Mitterand said that neither France nor the international community could do much if "local chiefs deliberately decide to conduct an adventure at the point of bayonets or with machete blows".

    But instead of allowing France to keep crises such as Somalia and Rwanda at arm's length, the debate threatens to drag the French into committing themselves more than they would wish.

    Summit participants, mindful of the delay in the deployment of a United Nations (U.N.) force in Rwanda this year, agreed on the need for such a force given the enduring nature of open or latent conflicts plaguing the continent.

    But the welter of difficulties they raised threatens to make the force a distant prospect.


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