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| French soldiers killed in Central African Republic | French soldiers killed in Central African Republic |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Two French soldiers have been killed in combat in the Central African Republic, the French presidency says. | Two French soldiers have been killed in combat in the Central African Republic, the French presidency says. |
| A statement said President Francois Hollande "learned with deep sadness" that the two had been killed overnight in the capital Bangui. | A statement said President Francois Hollande "learned with deep sadness" that the two had been killed overnight in the capital Bangui. |
| They are the first French deaths since President Hollande deployed 1,600 soldiers to the CAR last week. | They are the first French deaths since President Hollande deployed 1,600 soldiers to the CAR last week. |
| The CAR has been in chaos since rebel leader Michel Djotodia ousted President Francois Bozize in March. | The CAR has been in chaos since rebel leader Michel Djotodia ousted President Francois Bozize in March. |
| The statement from President Hollande's office said the soldiers had "lost their lives to save many others". | |
| "The president expresses his profound respect for the sacrifice of these two soldiers and renews his full confidence in the French forces committed - alongside African forces - to restoring security in the Central African Republic, to protecting the people and guaranteeing access to humanitarian aid," it said. | |
| President Hollande is attending Nelson Mandela's memorial service in South Africa and is due to travel on to Bangui later on Tuesday. | |
| Details of how the two soldiers died have not been revealed. | |
| On Monday there were reports of a brief exchange of gunfire near the airport in Bangui as French soldiers began to disarm militia fighters. | |
| But officials said most of the militiamen had been cleared by Monday night. | |
| Extra French troops were sent into the CAR last Friday after the UN Security Council backed a mandate to restore order "by all necessary measures" the previous evening. | |
| The UN resolution followed a surge of violence involving Christian self-defence militias that had sprung up after a series of attacks by mainly Muslim fighters from the former rebel coalition. |