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PORT-AU-PRINCE, March 1 (AFP) – About 40-50 French troops arrived Monday in Haiti, the lead element of a peacekeeping contingent expected to number about 200.
The troops arrived at the international airport in Port-au-Prince on a transport plane about 6:25 am (1125 GMT).
France also has dispatched a platoon of gendarmes from a special riot control unit to help maintain order in Haiti after President Jean Bertrand Aristide fled into exile.
The French troops are part of a multinational force authorised Sunday by the UN Security Council, joining US and Canadian troops already on the ground.
US forces have set up a command center in the diplomatic lounge of the international airport at Port-au-Prince, and marines could be seen camped near the runway.
© AFP
Subject: France news