BRAZZAVILLE - The first French troops flew out of Brazzaville yesterday as rival Congolese factions traded artillery and automatic weapons fire around the international airport.
Some 306 paratroopers left Maya Maya airport for the nearby capitals of Libreville and N'Djamena with 140 tonnes of weapons and material, French officers said.
They were part of the 1,250 French troops deployed in Brazzaville to evacuate almost 6,000 foreign nationals, including French citizens, who were trapped in fighting that erupted on June 5th.
With around one quarter of the troops already gone, the French pullout should be completed by the end of the week.