French journalist killed in ambush

BANGUI, Central African Republic — Camille Lepage, the young French journalist slain in the Central African Republic, died in a shoot-out between rival militia in which at least ten fighters died, police sources told AFP on Wednesday.

Details of the incident in the village of Gallo in the west of the former French colony emerged as the UN Security Council condemned the killing of the 26-yearold and vowed that those responsible would be brought to justice.

Lepage’s body was recovered by French peacekeeping troops on Tuesday evening. She had been on an assignment with members of the “anti-balaka” Christian militia earlier in the week when they were ambushed by fighters linked to rival militia groups.

News of the journalist’s death has caused shock in France and highlighted the ongoing instability of the CAR. French authorities on Wednesday opened a judicial investigation into the journalist’s demise.

Lepage’s mother paid tribute to a “an exceptional girl” who had died doing a job she loved. “My daughter had no fear, she was passionate, she was magnificent,” she said on RTL radio.

Lepage had been in the CAR since September. She worked as a photographer for Hans Lucas, a studio based in Paris.

Her death comes six months after two French journalists for RFI radio were killed in Mali.