(ANSA) Rome, August 28 - Italy's contingent within the EU
peacekeeping mission to the Central African Republic (EUFOR RCA)
has been deployed, spearheaded by 50 airborne sappers from the
crack Folgore paratroop regiment, defence ministry sources said
Thursday.
The 50 have joined the EU contingent's Ucatex base at
Bangui, the CAR capital, where as many as 750 troops are taking
part in the peace-keeping operation.
The enginering troops' aim is to protect the civilian
population and assist reconstruction following the violent
clashes that erupted at the end of last year, killing thousands
and leading 1.3 million people to flee their homes.
The sappers' tasks include ensuring the mobility of the EU
forces, defusing bombs, mines and other unexploded ordnance
remaining from the internecine conflict and carrying out basic
infrastructure projects of use to the civilian population and
local government.
The Italian soldiers will use armoured Lince vehicles
equipped with Italian-designed hi-tech Hitrole turret systems,
the sources said.
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