- Title: CROATIA: 500 FRENCH SOLDIERS ARRIVE IN CROATIA
- Date: 22nd June 1995
- Summary: PLOCE, CROATIA (JUNE 22, 1995) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. SV PLOCE HARBOUR 0.04 2. SV SHIP SAILING IN (2 SHOTS) 0.14 3. SV FRENCH U.N. SOLDIERS ON DECK (5 SHOTS) 0.42 4. SV SHIP DOCKING 0.47 5. SCU FRENCH U.N. SPOKESMAN CAPTAIN DIDIER BOLELI SPEAKING ABOUT RAPID REACTION FORCE MISSION TO PROTECT THE UNITED NATIONS FORCES (FRENCH) 1.10 6. SV BOLELI SPEAKING ABOUT FORCES NOT WEARING BLUE BERETS (FRENCH) 1.36 7. SV BOW BEING LOWERED 1.44 8. SV ARMOURED VEHICLES AND LIGHT TANKS LINED UP INSIDE SHIP (3 SHOTS) 1.59 9. SV TROOPS DISEMBARKING 2.08 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
- Embargoed: 7th July 1995 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: PLOCE, CROATIA
- City:
- Country: Croatia
- Reuters ID: LVAA6HPCX9MVMSUBJ9R9D5JE6JB6
- Story Text: About 500 French soldiers and their equipment landed in the Croatian port of Ploce on Thursday (June 22) to join a new Rapid Reaction Force created to protect United Nations (U.N.) peacekeepers in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
French U.N. spokesman Captain Didier Boleli said the contingent, expected to disembark later in the afternoon, included the 2nd infantry and 10th cavalry regiments of the French foreign legion with tanks and armoured vehicles.
An engineering unit and the contingent's commanders also arrived, Boleli said.
Another two boats, one carrying the remaining 1,200 infantry troops and weapons and the other logistics, were expected to arrive in Ploce on Friday, he said.
Over 1,600 French troops have sailed for Croatia from the French port of Toulon to be deployed as part of the force, alongside British and Dutch troops.
French troops will total up to 2,000. They will be backed by 10 Gazelle anti-tank helicopters due to fly in later.
An advance party of 470 French members of the unit landed in Split on June 13.
The exact tasks of the force, created following an agreement between European Union and NATO nations earlier this month, have yet to be defined.
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