Army chief-of-staff says military could send 250 soldiers to CAR

The Czech military could send up to 250 soldiers, who were originally to be deployed in Mali, to the U.N. mission in the Central African Republic, army chief-of-staff Petr Pavel told the ctk news agency on Tuesday. On a visit to Prague last week UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon asked Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka to consider sending Czech soldiers to the planned U.N. peacekeeping operation in the Central African Republic where violent clashes between Christians and Muslims have so far claimed hundreds of lives and left one million people displaced. Defense Minister Martin Stropnický said he would consult the matter with the Foreign Ministry and present the government with a proposal as soon as possible.