Chris Andrews (Dublin South East, Fianna Fail)

I wish to share time with Deputy Michael Mulcahy.

This motion seeks approval for the dispatch of Major General Pat Nash to the position of operations commander for the proposed EU military operation in the Republic of Chad and the Central African Republic, an issue in which I have an interest. Like many people in Ireland, I have an interest in issues of conflict across the globe. This probably stems from the time I worked in Nicaragua in solidarity with the Sandinistas in the 1980s. They had overthrown the corrupt Somoza in 1979. In that conflict, the US funded the opposition which, ultimately, overthrew the democratic government.

Since that conflict I always feel a huge sense of disappointment when I see foreign troops on another country's soil. It rarely has long-term positive effects. My gut instinct is that however bad things become in a divided country, it is best to let the different sides determine their own future. However, to refuse to send peacekeepers to countries like Chad and the Central African Republic would be like passing by while an elderly person is mugged on the streets. As the Minister said, we must step up to the plate. This is a very wealthy country. However, I say with a certain amount of reluctance that this is the right thing to do.

This is a serious intervention which I do not believe anybody can dispute. The appointment of Major General Pat Nash is a sign of how seriously we take this issue. The situation in Chad is very serious. It has a population of 10 million and, as previous speakers mentioned, there are 280,000 refugees and approximately 180,000 internally displaced people. Life expectancy is approximately 43 years of age. Dealing with this is a fairly bleak prospect for any country or force.

We must also show that the international community and this force takes the opposition, particularly in Chad, seriously. President Deby recently changed the constitution to suit himself and his supporters. This led to inevitable violence. Such violence is only to be expected when people make such changes to suit themselves. It is no coincidence that the constitutional change coincided with the dramatic increase in revenue from the new found oil reserves. With the arrival of oil and US investment, there would be a concern that our new found interest is oil-related. We must really work hard to ensure this impression is not accurate.

This force is composed of many nations, with France as the core nation. However, given the colonial past, the French may not be perceived as honest brokers. I am concerned that may cast a shadow over the entire force. Rebels and the opposition may perceive the force as an aggressive unit as I believe French soldiers prevented the capture of the capital by the opposition. French participation may contaminate the force and this must be borne in mind in any future negotiations.

Libya, a country seen as an international pariah for a long time, has been quite involved in progressing peace in this region and it is important to acknowledge that point. Another concern we must have is the close proximity of Chad and the Central African Republic to Darfur. Previous speakers mentioned it has 280,000 refugees and over 180,000 internally displaced people. This makes the situation even more complicated. I understand fighting has gone through a lull over the past number of months because of the ongoing negotiations and the rainy season which meant military operations were not easy to carry out. The rainy season is over and it is likely there will be increasing pressure for further military action from both sides.

This is not only a great honour for Major General Pat Nash but also for our armed forces which have served around the world with distinction. Despite concerns over French domination of the force and worries over what could be perceived as western intervention, I have no doubt the contribution of an Irish operations commander will facilitate the smooth running of the one-year mission in a region with dire humanitarian security needs.

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