The European Union planned to launch a repeatedly-delayed
peacekeeping mission to eastern Chad next month after France,
Belgium and Poland contributed key equipment in the 3,500-plus
mission, officials said Friday.
"While the process has taken longer than anticipated, it has
reached a successful conclusion in the end," Irish Defense Minister
Willie O'Dea said in a statement after military experts from EU
states met in Brussels.
The mission to protect civilians and aid workers caught up in
the violence in neighboring Darfur has been delayed several times
since October 2007 because of shortages of key equipment such as
helicopters.
"I am relieved therefore that they were able to respond
positively to the crisis in Chad," O'Dea said, referring to the EU
states' efforts to patch up an EU mission, which will be led by
Irish Lieutenant-General Patrick Nash.
O'Dea said the first Irish troops were due to be deployed early
in February, while an EU diplomat said the operation was expected
as a whole to start by mid-February. "The operational plan still
needs approval by the Council (of EU ministers) but I do not see
any problems now," said the unnamed diplomat.
France has pledged to deploy at least 1,350 troops and the Irish
Defense Forces are to send a further 450.
Austria, Greece, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain and Sweden are
to make further contributions.
"It is the most multinational deployment we have launched in
Africa," said the diplomat.
There were no details on what France, Belgium and Poland had
together agreed to provide, but the EU diplomat said commanders now
calculated they had enough helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.
Italy has also offered to provide a hospital.
The force, known as Eufor Chad/CAR, has a U.N. Security Council
mandate and is expected to be deployed in four areas, three in Chad
and one in the Central African Republic.
More than 200,000 refugees from Darfur are in camps in the
region, along with 178,000 displaced Chadians and 43,000 Central
Africans.
(Xinhua News Agency January 12, 2008)
