Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

The security situation in eastern Chad is relatively peaceful. However, the rainy season will end in the coming weeks and that could bring about increased rebel activity, banditry and criminality, which has implications for safety and security and the overall secure environment EUFOR is seeking to develop. Operational Commander Nash is confident EUFOR is in a position of strength to continue to ensure a safe and secure environment in which humanitarian actors can operate effectively.

Two Médecins Sans Frontiéres health facilities in Adé and Goz Beïda in eastern Chad were robbed by armed personnel last weekend and, as a consequence, the NGO withdrew from the area. The attacks involved roaming bandits and criminals rather than organised rebel activity. EUFOR is clearly mandated to protect refugees and internally displaced persons to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid and to protect UN personnel. Activity by rebel forces as well as criminality and banditry are matters for the Chadian authorities as well as MINURCAT.

We regret what happened but the Irish battalion did not receive a request from Médecins Sans Frontiéres for assistance over the past two months. Irish personnel will continue their operations but will co-operate with and support the NGOs throughout the Defence Forces deployment with EUFOR. Assistance has been provided to NGOs in the past, including the evacuation of NGO personnel to the Irish battalion's camp and so forth at Goz Beïda but many NGOs face ongoing challenges. Our people intervene where they can on request but Médecins Sans Frontiéres did not make such a request. The organisation, however, is vulnerable to attack from criminal elements.

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