THE OFFICE of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has criticised Irish troops serving in Chad, saying they should have prevented rebels from threatening their staff at gunpoint and looting their offices during a recent attack.
The UNHCR's spokeswoman in Chad told The Irish Timesthat while she accepted Irish troops serving with the European peace enforcement mission (EUfor) needed to remain neutral, they also had a UN mandate to protect humanitarian staff.
"If a humanitarian base is attacked, and we were, logic tells you they should have protected us," said Annette Rehrl via telephone from Abeche in eastern Chad. "Maybe they have a different understanding of the mandate."
Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea is in Chad and told The Irish Timesby telephone last night that the Irish troops did not have a "policing" role. The Irish, like all EUfor troops, would come to the assistance of those they are mandated to protect whenever assistance was sought.
"My understanding is that when the Irish were requested to evacuate people they acted immediately. They put 250 people up in their camp for several days."
EUfor's role was not to prevent banditry and crime, as some people believed. He was satisfied the Irish had acted professionally and in accordance with their mandate during the weekend violence.
Irish troops were fired at on Saturday while observing clashes between the Chadian army and 800 heavily-armed rebels just outside the eastern Chad town of Goz Beida, about three miles from where 430 Irish troops are based.
The Irish fired warning shots. They then took up a defensive position around the refugee camps and internally displaced persons (IDPs) camps they are responsible for protecting.
The rebels advanced into Goz Beida and looted a UNHCR compound and house. Items were stolen including satellite telephones and fuel. Some of the staff were threatened at gunpoint and shots were discharged, destroying computers. Ms Rehrl said the UNHCR staff were left traumatised.
"The Irish troops in Goz Beida were not able to protect [UN staff] or prevent the looting because they simply were not there. They are here to protect us but they didn't protect anything. There was shooting going on and they did not appear. Their mandate is to protect refugees, displaced persons and humanitarian staff, including the UN."
The UNHCR has now suspended its activities in eastern Chad due to the deteriorating security situation.
Ms Rehrl said after the rebels had moved on the Irish approached the UN base in Goz Beida. "They offered to let the staff sleep at their [Camp Ciara] base and then they brought them there. But this was after the whole thing happened."
She added some of the staff who were transferred to Camp Ciara complained there was not enough water available for the evacuees.
Ms Rehrl's comments follow criticism of EUfor by the Chadian president Idriss Deby who accused it of "closing its eyes" to the killing of civilians and refugees by anti-government rebels.
Mr O'Dea and the Defence Forces Chief of Staff Lieut Gen Dermot Earley were forced to abandon a planned visit yesterday to the UNHCR camp for IDPs in Goz Beida "due to the ongoing security situation".
Unrest deepened in the region yesterday with the Chadian government accusing its neighbour Sudan of attacking the Chadian border military garrison at Ade.
Rebels fighting to topple President Deby said they had captured another eastern town, Am-Zoer, 40 miles northwest of Abeche, the main hub of international aid operations. The rebel activity of the past week is seen as preparation for an attack on the Chadian capital N'Djamena some 700km west of Abeche.
The Irish forces in Chad have a UN mandate to protect refugees, IDPs and humanitarian staff. The peace enforcement mandate empowers the Irish to fire on any group attacking the people they are mandated to protect.
However, Mr O'Dea and Mr Earley have consistently said Irish troops will not become involved in any conflict between the Chadian government and rebel forces.
Ireland's involvement in EUfor has been seen as contentious by some because the French, the former colonial power, have contributed more troops to EUfor than any other EU state. France wants the current regime to remain in power and assisted it in repelling a rebel attack on N'Djamena in February.
