Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

On 25 September 2007, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1778 establishing a multidimensional UN mission in Chad and the Central African Republic that will help strengthen security in the region. Resolution 1778 (2007) establishes the mission, to be known as MINURCAT, for a period of one year, with a mandate focusing on the security and protection of civilians, particularly refugees, internally displaced persons, IDPs, and civilians in danger, and on human rights and the rule of law in eastern Chad and north-eastern Central African Republic.

Since 2004, eastern Chad has hosted some 240,000 Sudanese refugees in 12 camps who have fled the fighting in Darfur. In addition, Chad is facing a surge in the number of IDPs, now totalling more than 170,000. MINURCAT will have three components: a UN multidimensional presence, composed of UN police, rule of law, human rights and other civilian officers; a special Chadian police or gendarmes unit, some 850 strong, dedicated exclusively to maintaining law and order in refugee camps, sites with concentrations of IDPs and key towns, and assisting in securing humanitarian activities in eastern Chad; and an EU military deployment, under Chapter VII.

The Government at its meeting on Tuesday approved the nomination of an Irish officer to the position of operation commander for the proposed EU military operation in the Republic of Chad and the Central African Republic. The European Council will shortly decide on this appointment as part of the joint action to launch the ESDP mission.

A fact-finding mission is to visit the region and report back on mission requirements. The Government will take a final decision on the extent of the Defence Forces' participation in this mission once this report is to hand. Any decision to participate will be subject to the approval of Dáil Éireann in accordance with the Defence Acts.

As part of the background planning for potential participation in the EU mission in Chad the Defence Forces are examining a range of strategic lift options for deployment of Defence Forces personnel and their sustainment in this region. The Defence Forces have stand-by arrangements in place in this regard, mainly involving commercial suppliers. Discussions are ongoing with our EU partners. There are no plans to acquire large long-range transport aircraft for the Defence Forces.

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