Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)

By now, the Minister for Defence and his officials must be experts on the geography of Chad and on the numbers of internally displaced people. I will do my best not to continue to read those facts into the record. On a more serious note, this will be an extremely tough assignment and it poses a real challenge to our forces and to all who will accompany them into the heart of Africa.

I note that Chad has been a killing field for many generations. This has been the case since its civil war in the early 1960s and internal conflict continued into the late 1980s. Many civilians in Chad are under attack by the Janjaweed and others as the conflict to the east spills across the border. I note that Forbes magazine, not normally a publication to which I pay much attention, has placed Chad at the top of the list of the world's most corrupt nations for what may turn out to be the single most piggish use of philanthropic funds. I refer to proceeds from a project funded in part by the World Bank to build an oil pipeline through Chad and Cameroon. It was supposed to have been ring-fenced by President Déby's government to assist and feed the desperately poor people of these nations. Instead, approximately $30 million was diverted to buy arms to keep in power the government of President Idriss Déby. Corruption and danger certainly are present in Chad and there is a huge amount of death, destruction and conflict.

I found it interesting to observe the debate in recent months on the need to ensure that our troops do not face undue danger in the conduct of their duties. Achieving this will rely greatly on the resources of the Army and, more importantly, on the resources made available by others in that area. Were the conflict to escalate and were the simple logistics of feeding, watering and providing logistical back-up not to happen, it could leave our troops exposed. In common with all other speakers, I wish the members of the Defence Forces a peaceful and successful mission in that country. The scale of the problems they will face is enormous and they will see at first hand the poverty, malnutrition and difficulties faced by the people of Chad. Undoubtedly, Pat Nash will be able to face this challenge. Irish troops have performed in many countries to date and Lieutenant General Pat Nash must be satisfied that his troops will not be in undue danger. I am sure he will so satisfied. I note that hundreds of rebels have been killed in the region in recent days in clashes with the Chadian Government and there is no easy end to the problems they will face there.

I intend to read into the record some of the concerns that Amnesty International has brought to Members' attention regarding the problems of Chad. It has pointed out that much of the conflict has spilled over from Sudan and that the Janjaweed has extended its activities into eastern Chad with attacks on communities that began approximately four years ago. Initially, these consisted of small-scale raids aimed primarily at stealing cattle. In more recent times, however, the levels of weaponry, violence and destruction have escalated. There have been many accounts of groups of women being attacked and raped. There is a particularly awful account regarding the village of Djorlo, in which the Janjaweed raped seven women who had taken refuge in a mosque. The women were captured, beaten and raped. It is for these reasons and many more that Ireland will do its best to play its role on the international scene and to demonstrate that it is there for the most disadvantaged on earth. Ireland has a long record of humanitarian assistance by missionaries throughout the 20th century and through overseas missions of the Defence Forces. More importantly, this mission shows that in the 21st century, Ireland is providing both assistance through Irish Aid and the humanitarian and peacekeeping back-up that is required for those who are threatened in Chad.

Democracy is at great risk in Chad. Moreover, civil liberties are under threat and hundreds of people have been killed there in recent days. On behalf of the Green Party, I support this mission in Chad. The Green Party shares the concern to ensure our troops will be as safe as possible. It seeks the establishment of a safe and secure environment for refugees and internally displaced people, as well as the protection of United Nations and humanitarian personnel. The Green Party is satisfied that the triple lock will be in place, that is, the UN, the Government and the Dáil will approve this mission. On behalf of my Green Party colleagues, I wish the members of the Defence Forces a safe journey and a successful mission. I am sure they will learn much from the people they encounter there.

All too often, Africa is in the news for the wrong reasons. It is important to acknowledge Africa's enormous cultural importance. I refer to its rich history and I am sure our troops will learn from its rich musical heritage, of which I am a fan. Moreover, there have been fantastic successes in Africa in recent years and it is important that Members do not spend all their time considering its trouble spots, dangers, difficulties and problems. Members should welcome and give thanks for the culture, music and history of Africa. Undoubtedly this mission will lead the Irish people to learn more in this regard and hopefully it will lead to some of the richness of that culture being brought home. We will be all the better for it and we will be able to hold our heads slightly higher on the international stage.

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