Poland to send 50 non-combat troops to the Central African Republic

Poland has agreed to send 50 troops to offer logistics and technical aid to France's operation in the Central African Republic (CAR), media reports say.

"I want to state very precisely that this aid is logistic and technical and will concern air transport," Xinhua reported, citing Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in a press conference following the EU summit in Brussels.

The decision was taken due to France's strategic partnership with Poland, especially in the defence area, he added.

France has been asking for help from its European partners to bolster its peacekeeping mission in CAR. It has deployed 1,600 troops to the African country to prevent escalating bloodshed between Muslim and Christian rebels that has left hundreds of people dead and forced thousands others to flee the capital.