THE Government has agreed to provide a contingent of troops as part of a UN intervention force to assist in the refugee crisis in East Africa. A motion to pave the way for the involvement of the soldiers has been tabled for the Dail next Wednesday.
Confirming that the Government had decided to contribute troops, the Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Spring, said yesterday that between 80 and 120 soldiers might be involved in the operation.
The Army had considerable experience in relation to monitoring and administration which could be used for logistical purposes. However, the "big question" to be addressed centred on the political implications of sending a force to the region, Mr Spring said.
Earlier, the Tanaiste told a joint session of the Committees on European Affairs and Foreign Affairs that the humanitarian crisis in the area required immediate action and said it seemed that military observers were necessary "to ensure intervention is effective".
The former leader of the Progressive Democrats, Mr Des O'Malley, said that unless a force similar in size to the 30,000 strong contingent in Bosnia was sent into the area a "horrendous outcome" could result. Action was necessary within four or five days to prevent a catastrophic outbreak of violence, he added.
Mr O'Malley described the attitude of the Rwandan government to returning refugees as "doubtful to say the least".