By Martin Banks - 29th January 2008
The man who will lead the EU’s new peacekeeping force to eastern Chad has admitted the mission will be “complex and challenging”.
Speaking in Brussels at a news conference, Lieutenant-General Patrick Nash described the deployment as a “logistical Everest”.
The 3,500-plus mission will start its operation in early March, crucially before the rainy season, and have an initial mandate for 12 months, he said.
“This is a volatile and ever-changing country and I have been struck by the vastness of the area, much of it uninhabited,” said Nash.
“The landscape is austere, the climate severe and this remains one of the most unstable areas in Africa.
“Implementation of peace agreements has not been successful so there is much to be done to bring peace to the region.
“However, all the indications are that this EU force is eagerly awaited by the local population.”
The Irish Lieutenant-General said that one of the "key" goals of the mission will be the delivery of humanitarian aid and the protection of civilians, particularly refugees, caught up in the bitter civil conflict.
The decision to deploy a force was taken on Monday by EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels.
The force, comprising military personnel from 22 countries, will also have a presence in the Central African Republic.
Commenting on the mission, German Green MEP Frithjof Schmidt said: "Serious question marks remain surrounding its mandate."
"The peacekeeping force is supposed to protect the refugees from Darfur in Chad but large sections of the border region between Chad and Sudan, where the protection is most urgently needed, fall outside the remit of the operation. This is an absurd situation," said Schmidt, vice-chair of parliament's development committee.
"On top of this, it remains unclear how the estimated costs of €1 billion for the mission will be raised. Of more concern, is how the neutrality of EU troops can be guaranteed in a situation close to civil war, with the French military concurrently supporting the Chad president.
"This EU response in Chad is in sharp contrast to the situation with Darfur, where a continuing deadlock is preventing the deployment of the UNAMID-troops in Darfur.
“The world has sat by for years as the situation in Darfur has deteriorated and the EU must share responsibility as a result of its inaction. This misguided intervention in Chad seems to be designed to, in some way, make amends for the EU's failure to act with regard to Darfur."
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