This evening, the French president announced the intervention will start in the coming hours.
The high level of effectiveness of the Belgian Air Force operationnal women and men is again recognized on the international level.
Belgium will probably support France militarily.
The high level of effectiveness of the Belgian Air Force operationnal women and men is again recognized on the international level.
Belgium will probably support France militarily.
· "Let's just say we are in a prudent planning phase," Belgian Defense minister Pieter De Crem (CD&V) told us Wednesday. France has approached Belgium to ask for its support in a military intervention that Paris is planning in the Central African Republic (CAR). The Belgian army is studying – and planning – the nature of its potential contribution.
· Didier Reynders (MR), minister of Foreign Affairs, has said that his department is viewing this appeal "in a positive way," and the same attitude prevails in the Defense department, for at least two of the three French requests. According to our information, Paris wants aid from allied countries for three types of air support: strategic flights from Europe to CAR, tactical flights within CAR, and heavy helicopter support for serious medical evacuations. Belgium cannot respond to the third request because it does not have heavy lift helicopters, and therefore no medically equipped heavy helicopters. "Medevac" missions performed in Mali by Belgian Agusta A-109 helicopters are only for light evacuations.
