Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 77: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the liaison there is between the UN mission in Chad and the UN mission in Sudan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23746/08]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The United Nations missions in Chad and Sudan and the UN-authorised EU military mission in Chad, EUFOR Tchad/RCA are part of a multidimensional security and humanitarian presence in a region which has been seriously affected by the Darfur conflict, as well as by tensions within and between the two countries.

There are two UN missions in Sudan: UNMIS, established in March 2005 to support the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of January 2005 which brought to an end a long-running conflict between North and South Sudan; and the joint African Union/United Nations Hybrid operation in Darfur (UNAMID), established under Security Council Resolution 1769 of 31 July 2007 to protect personnel and civilians and to support the 2006 Darfur Peace Agreement.

In Chad, UN Security Council Resolution 1778 of 25 September 2007 mandates MINURCAT, a UN mission to Chad and the Central African Republic, which is tasked with training and supporting the Chadian police, and with the promotion and protection of human rights, as well as providing security and protection for an estimated 400,000 refugees and internally displaced persons, to allow for refugee returns and to facilitate humanitarian assistance; and EUFOR Tchad/RCA, the EU-led military mission in Chad and the Central African Republic under the Operational Command of Irish Lt. Gen. Pat Nash. EUFOR's mandate includes supporting the activities of MINURCAT and the protection of refugees and internally displaced people, as well as facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Under its mandate, the UN mission MINURCAT in Chad is specifically required to liaise closely with UNAMID in Sudan, primarily with a view to exchanging information on emerging threats to humanitarian activities in the region.

Security Council Resolution 1778 also provides for close co-operation between the EU, the UN Secretary General and the Governments of Chad and the Central African Republic throughout EUFOR's mission. There is Security Council Resolution 1778 also provides for close co-operation between the EU, the UN Secretary General and the Governments of Chad and the Central African Republic throughout EUFOR's mission. There is close liaison between the EU and the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations in New York and Lt. Gen. Nash, has visited UN Headquarters in this context.

I understand that the Special Representatives of the UN Secretary General in Sudan and Chad also coordinate on a regular basis and routinely copy each other with their reports in order to provide a fuller picture of the situation.

A political settlement is the only hope for lasting peace in Sudan's Darfur region, and Ireland fully supports the ongoing African Union/UN mediation efforts in that regard. Ireland and the EU have continually put pressure on Sudan to allow full deployment of the UNAMID peacekeeping force in Darfur, and to ensure full access for humanitarian workers. While the international community can assist the parties in settling their internal and bilateral differences through constructive means, in the final analysis the parties themselves must demonstrate the political will and commitment necessary to resolve the underlying political and security challenges in the area. Ireland and its EU partners also continue to urge the Government and opposition in Chad to work towards the establishment of real democracy and the holding of free and fair elections next year.