DUTCH MARINES serving alongside the Army in Chad have issued a statement about a rebel attack on a United Nations compound in the east of the country which details their view of how the contentious incident unfolded.
The attack created controversy when a spokeswoman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) complained that Irish soldiers mandated to protect UN staff had done nothing to protect them during the rebel attack.
Annette Rehrl told The Irish Timesfrom Chad last week that although members of European peace enforcement mission EUfor had come to the aid of the staff, this happened only after the rebels had gained access to the facility, looting it, opening fire and threatening staff at gunpoint, leaving them "traumatised".
The UNHCR, while not retracting the comments, has apologised to the Minister for Defence, Willie O'Dea, who was in Chad last week. Mr O'Dea disputed Ms Rehrl's account, saying senior UNHCR personnel had thanked him for the role the Army had played in evacuating their staff.
Lieut Gen Dermot Earley said the criticism of the Irish soldiers was based on "misinformation".
The Dutch military's account of the incident last Saturday week states that an armed assault on the compound was under way when their troops arrived. The rebels were in the compound, shooting their weapons and stealing vehicles, when their troops arrived, according to their statement.
The Irish Timesunderstands the 390 Irish troops serving with the 46 Dutch were protecting nearby refugee camps during the attack on the UNHCR compound.
Ms Rehrl had questioned if the Irish troops understood their UN mandate in Chad to "ensure the security" of UN staff.
The Dutch statement says it was their troops who dealt with the aftermath of the compound attack, during which they were fired upon. A stand-off between the rebels and Dutch lasted about 1½ hours. The Army later assisted the evacuation of UNHCR staff.
The detachment commandant, Tjarko Leungen, is quoted in a Dutch marines statement as saying that when his men arrived, the rebels in the compound wanted them to leave. "When the marines didn't act that changed the situation," the statement says. "One of their leaders walked over to the commandant, handed over [stolen UNHCR] car keys and told us that they didn't want any trouble with the EUfor."
