France said yesterday it will begin deploying a French-led multinational force in the Democratic Republic of Congo next week to halt a surge in violence. The French commitment to lead a force of over 1,000 troops comes after U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan appealed to French President Jacques Chirac to intervene. A U.N. spokeswoman in the town of Bunia told CNN today the death toll from recent clashes has risen to 415. Tens of thousands of people have fled from their homes.