Mary Fitzgeraldreports on her visit to Gassire which houses some of the 130,000 displaced Chadians who have fled inter-ethnic violence and banditry
WHEN WORD began to spread among those living in Gassire last year that soldiers from Europe would soon be patrolling the surrounding area, it was cause for no little optimism. Gassire is what humanitarian agencies call an "internally displaced persons" (IDP) site, a place where Chadians driven from their own villages have set up home in makeshift huts that provide some shelter from the unforgiving heat of Chad's dry season.
The site, a short drive away from the town of Goz Beida, is one of several that accommodate the estimated 130,000 displaced who have fled to this corner of southeastern Chad.
Before the EU mission known as Eufor began to deploy in March this year, an information campaign was put in place to ensure those living in the region were fully informed of the mission and its purpose.
The deployment, which includes some 400 Irish soldiers, has a UN mandate to help protect civilians in eastern Chad and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid. But with Eufor's 3,500 troops stretched thinly over such a vast and inhospitable territory, some aid workers say initial expectations in places such as Gassire may have been too high.
"In general, the [IDPs] have great expectations of Eufor," says Deirdre Delaney, a Concern programme manager who works in Gassire. "But what they forget is that Eufor is just a small force with a very large area to cover. I think the IDPs have this notion in their heads that [Eufor troops] are going to be in their villages 24 hours a day, which is not possible.
"They seem to understand the mandate of Eufor . . . but they think [Eufor] is bigger than it is."
Sitting in the shade outside her family's dwelling in Gassire, Fatima Husseina recalled how fierce fighting in Chad's volatile borderlands drove her to flee with her two children from their village near the border with Sudan two years ago.
Chad's restive eastern flank has been convulsed by violence in recent years, with a spilling over of the conflict in neighbouring Darfur adding to significant internal unrest caused by ethnic and tribal tensions, roving bandits, and rebel groupings battling to overthrow President Idriss Déby.
"The war brought us here and we are afraid to return," Fatima said, pulling her veil around her head. "When there is full security, we will go back to our village but for now we are happy to stay here. Thank God Eufor has brought some security."
One of the main issues related to security around sites such as Gassire is the threat posed to women who venture beyond the site to gather firewood or harvest crops, explains Capt Gillian Collins of the Defence Forces' 98th Infantry Battalion. The women are often attacked and raped.
As one of two female members of the Irish contingent's Cimic (Civil Military Co-operation) team, Capt Collins regularly deals with the concerns of women living in the area.
This is the first time the Defence Forces have sent an entire Cimic team with an overseas mission, says battalion commander Lieut Col Kieran Brennan.
The Cimic team in Goz Beida liaises with local authorities and humanitarian agencies working in the surrounding area. Lieut Col Brennan describes Cimic as a crucial element to the deployment in Chad.
Yesterday morning, the Cimic team arrived at Goz Beida's Dar Ran Naim primary school with boxes full of chalk, crayons, rulers and exercise books to distribute among the pupils.
"We're not going to solve education problems - that's not why we're here. But this gives a positive image of Eufor," said Cmdt Conor O'Shea, as he handed out brightly coloured pencil cases to eager schoolchildren.
In a similar vein, the Irish troops will start work on the construction of a soccer pitch this week, after getting the go-ahead from the local governor.
Back at Camp Ciara, the Irish troops' base for the duration of their deployment, Sgt Maj Ber O'Donovan stressed how gaining the trust and respect of locals was central to the success of the mission.
"So far things are going well," he said. "We'd like to think we're winning hearts and minds."