Britons send more military equipment to CAR

LONDON, Dec. 12 (UPI) -- The British Ministry of Defense said Thursday it delivered military equipment to French forces supporting an African Union effort to bring peace to CAR.

"The Royal Air Force has delivered more French armored vehicles to the Central African Republic in support of France's peacekeeping operation," the Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

The ministry said the air force has already delivered five armored vehicles to French forces, who are being ferried to CAR from Burundi by the U.S. Air Force.

In a presidential order issued Tuesday, U.S. President Barack Obama delegated Secretary of State John Kerry to direct up to $60 million in defense equipment to help support multilateral military operations in CAR.

The U.N. Security Council last week passed a resolution for the French military role in CAR, a former French colony.

Two French soldiers died as a result of injuries suffered during a fight with CAR rebels this week. French President Francois Hollande was quoted by France 24 as saying the intervention was necessary to prevent further atrocities in the troubled African nation.

The rebel Seleka coalition, a group comprised of mostly Muslim bandits, toppled the government in March. The conflict has teetered on the verge of genocide as Christian militants and their Muslim rivals clash.