The Irish commander of an EU multi-national force to Chad today said he was heartened by the welcome troops had received on the ground but warned the deployment was a considerable challenge.
Special forces teams from various European countries are already in the country and more than 400 Irish soldiers are expected to be deployed in the region by late May.
They will protect refugees who have fled the conflict in neighbouring Darfur.
Speaking after briefing Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in Dublin on the operation Lt General Pat Nash said the troops would be working in volatile conditions.
“They \[troops] have been exceptionally well received, I am delighted to say,”he said.
“Heartened, to a certain degree relieved. Indeed, the reports that are coming in to me is that every village the contingent visit, the people don’t want to let them go because they see them as security,” he said.
Eighteen countries will play a part in the EUFOR Chad/Central African Republic (Car) mission, with the initial entry force made up of special forces from Austria, Belgium, France, Ireland and Sweden.
More than 400 Irish troops are due to take part in the Irish-led mission which has a UN mandate to protect civilians, including Darfuri refugees and displaced locals in eastern Chad.
More than 240,000 Darfur refugees are living in 12 official camps in eastern Chad since 2004, as well as an estimated 180,000 inside Darfur.
The Irish contingent have been deployed for a 12 month period which officially began on March 15th.
The main body of troops is expected to deploy within the next few months. Some 2,700 tonnes of equipment, 100 vehicles and trailers and enough food and water for hundreds of people for four months were shipped out to Chad by the Defence Forces late last month.
The vessel is expected to arrive in Cameroon in eight days time.
The equipment will then be moved overland approximately 2,500 kilometres to the battalion campsite at Goz Beida in south-eastern Chad where a small village will be constructed.
“At the moment we do have challenges,” Lt Gen Nash said.
“It is a volatile place and there are many allegiances and diverse groups operating in the area.”
Mr Ahern said he was aware the mission had its dangers. “There is no mission without risk but all the safety standards, all of the preparation are almost in place and that takes a lot of skilful negotiating by of course Commander Nash,” he said.
PA