THE ASSOCIATION representing soldiers, sailors and air crew, PDforra, has said any “premature” withdrawal of Irish troops from Chad would represent a further erosion of its members’ conditions and leave vulnerable Chadians at risk.
The association has met Minister for Defence Tony Killeen and has warned him against withdrawing troops from Chad unless absolutely necessary.
They told Mr Killeen he not only had a duty to the troops but also to provide Irish peacekeepers to vulnerable people in world trouble-spots.
PDforra deputy general secretary Simon Devereaux said he had impressed upon Mr Killeen the need to keep the Government’s options open in relation to leaving the 400 Irish troops in Chad in the event the United Nations (UN) secured an extension to its mandate there.
“If we pull our troops, we will have roughly 70 people on overseas missions at the end of this year, the lowest since the early 60s,” Mr Devereaux said.
“We have authorisation to have over 700 people on overseas missions and we should be endeavouring to fulfil this commitment for a variety of reasons.”
While well-trained troops were needed for stability in the developing world, the Irish troops’ overseas deployments were also central to their career development.
Having overseas missions to send Irish troops to was also vital for their morale, training and for Defence Forces’ recruitment drives.
“Soldiers join the Defence Forces with an expectation of UN service and this should not be denied to them, especially when the UN is believed to want us to remain in Chad,” he said.
The option of Irish troops remaining there should be kept open for as long as possible, he said.
In the event of the Irish being withdrawn, the Government should immediately examine what other UN missions they could be deployed to next, he said.
Mr Killeen has said he would be willing to review the decision to withdraw if the UN secured a mandate extension by the end of next week. He said waiting any longer was not an option.
The decision to withdraw from Chad was approved by the Cabinet last Tuesday. It follows ongoing difficulties being experienced by the UN in persuading the Chadian government to allow the UN peace enforcement mission, Minurcat, to continue after its current mandate expires on May 15th.
The Chadians have repeatedly told the UN that the multinational Minurcat mission is not welcome after May 15th.
However, the UN believes the security situation in Chad is still unstable. It wants to remain there until at least the end of the year to bolster security for the hundreds of thousands of refugees and internally displaced persons living in vast camps across Chad.
Those in the camps have fled fighting in parts of Chad and in neighbouring Darfur.
Under national and international law, Irish troops could not remain on in Chad beyond May 15th without a new mandate.
The logistical challenges involved in any withdrawal are so great that the process would need to begin at least two to three weeks before May 15th.
The Irish troops’ equipment, including a large fleet of military vehicles and heavy plant, needs to be transported across Chad by truck, rail and plane to the port of Douala in Cameroon, from where it will be shipped to Ireland.
Contracts for that work would need to be signed by late next week, informed sources say.
If it were left any longer, there is a danger that the withdrawal would not be complete by May 15th, when the mandate ends.
The rainy season is also due to begin in mid-May and will render Chad’s network of dirt roads impassable.
A UN delegation is in Chad for talks with the Chadians about a possible extension to the mandate. However, similar talks in recent months have led to nothing.
