REBEL troops were holding out in barracks in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, a day after French troops wrested control of most of the city from the mutineers.
The situation was calm after Sunday's fierce clashes, but there was no information available on the number of rebels in the barracks. The total number of rebels has been estimated at several hundred.
Government forces were still in control in central Bangui yesterday, while traffic was normal again in districts formerly held by the mutineers.
In Paris, protesters occupied the Central African Republic's embassy to protest at what they described as French military intervention in the internal affairs of the former French colony.
Police later peacefully evacuated the embassy, the protesters said.
In a statement, the protesters urged "the immediate withdrawal of troops of the French colonial occupation," called on President Patasse to resign, and urged the UN to send a neutral force to help shore up peace and national reconciliation.