France Says All 1,200 Pledged Troops Now in C.Africa

All 1,200 French troops pledged for a U.N.-mandated force in the violence-hit Central African Republic have now deployed, France's defense ministry said Saturday.

"We are 24 hours ahead of schedule with the total deployment," a ministry official said, after a 200-strong contingent of reinforcements crossed the border from neighboring Cameroon on Saturday.

France already had several hundred troops stationed in the CAR before the latest outbreak of violence in its former colony.

President Francois Hollande announced the deployment on Thursday after receiving U.N. approval, saying it was designed to protect the population and restore stability.