French intervention

Paris - Declaring that every hour counted, President Francois Mitterrand said yesterday that France would send an intervention force swiftly to halt mass slaughter in Rwanda even if no Western partners could be found. 'It's a matter of days and hours,' he said. 'Two or three African countries have responded positively. I'm still waiting for firm responses from European countries. But whatever the case, we will do it. Every hour counts.' He said France was ready to act without waiting for possible deployment of a UN-organised force. AP