Our friends in the north

Libyan troops make President Patassé feel more secure but he doesn't seem to trust anyone

Though Central African Republic has now denied giving Libya a 99-year minerals lease, Colonel Moammar el Gadaffi is certainly getting valuable strategic benefits from providing security for the Bangui government. For Libya, CAR's main attraction is not so much its minerals as its strategic position, which enhances Tripoli's diplomatic and military influence in the Congo Basin and reinforces its capacity to maintain pressure on Chad, sandwiched between CAR and Libya.

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