US:Concerns for the safety of a proposed Irish deployment to Chad will be a major factor in deciding whether the mission gets the go-ahead, Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern has said.
Last week the Cabinet approved the deployment of a reconnaissance mission to eastern Chad, with a view to sending more than 300 Irish soldiers as part of a UN mission to protect refugees fleeing the conflict in neighbouring Darfur.
The move followed the approval by the UN Security Council of the deployment of a hybrid force involving UN police officers and EU soldiers to the region.
Speaking to The Irish Times at the UN general assembly, Mr Ahern said several security and logistical issues needed to be addressed before a decision was made to send Irish troops to the region. "We're sending troops in principle, obviously subject to a full military assessment of the situation on the ground. It will very much depend on the assessment.
"Obviously, security and safety will be our primary focus. We're not going to put our troops into a situation where it's inherently dangerous," he said.
He added that the Government would need "strong, positive" advice from the reconnaissance unit and other countries involved in the proposed EU-UN hybrid force before committing troops.
"No matter where we send troops in that region, it's going to be very difficult. There are huge logistical issues involved, not least the provision of water for the troops. It's a huge logistical difficulty that has already come up as a problem," Mr Ahern said.
"The make-up of the contingent would be very important to us as well. We would want to have absolute confidence in the make-up of the contingent."
The Minister was speaking before he met his Sudanese counterpart, Lam Akol, yesterday. He said he would use the meeting to reiterate the Government's view that a hybrid force should be allowed into Darfur, and to raise concerns about the safety of aid workers in the region. Mr Ahern will address the UN general assembly today before leaving for Washington to meet US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice.