Army's UN mission in Liberia ends

The Defence Forces' mission in Liberia formally came to a close last night when the last deployment of Irish troops returned to Ireland from the west African state.

Eighty-three troops from the 96th Infantry Battalion touched down at Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel, at 8pm on board a charter flight that had flown them from the Liberian capital, Monrovia.

The troops, who were under the command of Lieut Col Michael Kennedy, were greeted by Defence Forces Chief of Staff Lieut Gen Jim Sreenan. They had formed a quick reaction force (QRF) for the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).

The QRF involved troops being available at short notice on a 24-hour basis to quell any unrest, primarily in and around Monrovia, but also in other parts of the country.

The QRF role was formally passed to Pakistani forces in Liberia on May 9th.

The Defences Forces had been part of UNMIL since November 2003, following a period of intense civil war that coincided with the fall of former dictator Charles Taylor.

The Irish partnered Swedish forces and were based at Camp Clara on the site of the derelict Hotel Africa, just outside Monrovia.

The Army Ranger Unit was the first on the ground ahead of a full deployment with one of its members, Sgt Derek Mooney, losing his life in a road traffic accident soon after arriving in the country in November 2003.

The Rangers rescued 35 hostages, including women and children, held by rebel forces in January 2004. Later in the mission, in March of last year, Irish troops transported Charles Taylor to the war crimes tribunal in Sierra Leone.

The Defence Forces' vehicles and equipment have been loaded onto a cargo ship that is expected to reach Ireland in the coming weeks.