The UN envoy to the Central African Republic, Mankeur Ndiaye, on Thursday called on the Security Council for a "substantial increase" in peacekeeping operations in the country after recent deadly attacks by armed groups.

The increase must be accompanied by "greater mobility" by the peacekeepers, he added, also referring to "great desertion" from the Central African security forces since December.

Ndiaye did not specify the number of additional peacekeepers he wanted for the Minusca mission, which has about 12,000 soldiers and is one of the largest and most costly UN operations in the world.

He also pushed for an "extension of a few months" of the reinforcement by some 300 Rwandan soldiers seconded since December from the peace mission in South Sudan. The reinforcement was planned for two months.

Minusca has lost seven peacekeepers -- a very heavy toll -- since the launch at the end of last year of coordinated and simultaneous attacks by militia groups, some of them allied to former Central African president Francois Bozize.

Recently re-elected President Faustin Archange Touadera's government controls only about one-third of the former French colony, with militia groups that emerged from a conflict in 2013 controlling the remainder.

The rebels launched an offensive a week before the December presidential elections.

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