Irish troops landed in Chad this morning as part of a detatchment of 400 Irish personnel to the EU peace enforcement mission (Eufor).
The 161 members of the 97th Infantry Battalion, who left Dublin on board a civilian charter flight last night, arrived at 8am and will provide protection to internally displaced persons, refugees who fled unrest in the Darfur region of neighbouring Sudan and also those who have entered Chad to escape fighting in the Central African Republic.
They are scheduled to begin their journey eastwards tomorrow morning to Goz Beida, which will be their base for the next four months.
The group will be joined by a second deployment of personnel on June 1st, bringing to around 400 the full strength of the Irish battalion that will be in the country for at least one year.
Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea said the mission would be the most challenging ever faced by the Defence Forces.
"The mission in Chad, without doubt, has its risks but more than 400,000 refugees fleeing the bloody conflict in Darfur need our help," he said.
The group will be joined by a second deployment of personnel on June 1st, bringing to around 400 the full strength of the Irish battalion that will be in the country for at least one year.
"This Chad mission demonstrates how the European Union can respond positively and significantly to conflict and dire humanitarian crisis and how Ireland can, and must continue to play its part in this," Mr O'Dea added.
This year, Ireland celebrates 50 years of peacekeeping with the United Nations.