EU foreign ministers are expected on Monday to approve a European military intervention in the Central African Republic, according to diplomats, to provide backup to French and African Union peacekeepers already in the conflict-ridden country, dpa reported. Hundreds of people have died and up to a million have been displaced by violence in the past year. The Red Cross has warned of a "massive humanitarian catastrophe." "We need to be on the ground as quickly as possible," a top EU official said. The mission is to be fast-tracked with an aim to deploy troops as early as February, according to EU sources. The ministers, meeting in Brussels, will consider plans for an intervention lasting four to six months, focusing on the capital Bangui, where thousands of people have fled to makeshift camps near the airport, seeking the protection of international forces.
