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COURSE ON: Thiant (left) and Koehl address
journalists. Centre is French officer Col. Ramade |
By Grace Matsiko FRANCE is to deploy up to 10 hi-tech
fighter jets in the Ugandan airspace to protect their troops being
deployed in Bunia in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Colonel Denis
Koehl, the logistics officer for the French-led-emergency multinational
interim force for Bunia on Saturday said five Mirage 2000D Bombers and
five Mirage Fox 1 fighter jets were assembled for the operation to be
commanded by a two-star General Paul Thonier. Koehl and French
ambassador to Uganda Jean-Bernard Thiant were addressing a press
conference about the three-month Operation Artemis spearheaded by France.
“The troops have to be protected on landing and take-off,” Koehl, an
airman said. “In normal situations, we may not deploy them but put
them on standby,” he added. Military sources said the French version
fighter jets can release a series of bombs at ago, re-fuel mid-air,
intercept enemy aircraft, launch missile attacks and take pictures on the
ground and relay them to the Central command in France for analysis.
Koehl said a reconnaissance mission comprising Commandos entered Bunia
town to assess the situation in readiness for the deployment of the main
body of the troops. “The speed of troop deployment is conditioned by
the extremely low number of rotations that can be effected on Bunia runway
given its condition. The deployment will undoubtedly be long. We must
think in terms of several weeks before the force can be completely
deployed with all its material and combat vehicles,” the colonel said.
He said the military build up is inevitable as the forces are
susceptible to attacks from heavily armed militia groups that are equipped
with armour and ground to air missiles. Koehl said a part from the
geographic constraints in Bunia, the airport there could not sustain more
than 10 airlifts per day and may deteriorate at each landing and takeoff.
“Strategic aerial transport will be effected upto Entebbe airport
where the force will install a (Joint-Military Support Base besides the
MONUC aerial plan of action. The aerial tactical projection will be
carried out in a distance of 300km between Entebbe and Bunia,” he added.
Thiant said the force is not to engage in combat with the militia but
to stabilise the chaotic situation in order to facilitate the work of the
humanitarian agencies as the condition of the population appears
catastrophic. Ends |
The
Mulindwas Communication Group "With Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in
anarchy"
Groupe de communication Mulindwas "avec Yoweri Museveni, l'Ouganda est dans
l'anarchie"
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