Humanitarian staff evacuated as rebels head for Irish base

IRISH TROOPS in Chad have evacuated 65 humanitarian staff and are now braced for serious unrest as hundreds of heavily-armed rebels move towards their base in the east of the country.

The rebels, travelling in columns of 4X4 vehicles, began pouring into eastern Chad from Sudan’s Darfur region on Monday night. Some of the world’s biggest humanitarian agencies became so concerned for the safety of their staff yesterday morning that they asked the Irish troops to evacuate them.

Some 67 aid workers and 11 security personnel were evacuated from camps for refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Goz Amer, 35kms south of Goz Beida, where about 400 Irish troops are based at Camp Ciara.

The evacuation was carried out by a group of Irish troops from the 99th Infantry Battalion. They were asked by Victor Angelo, special representative of the UN secretary general, to conduct a patrol into the troubled area and extract any aid workers who wanted to leave.

It was unclear last night if the Irish patrol had gone back into the danger zone once the evacuation was complete.

However, the Irish had not taken up protective positions immediately around the Goz Amer camps, where 20,000 refugees and 50,000 IDPs are living. Some of the humanitarian staff opted to stay with the refugees and IDPs.

Most of the evacuees – who work for the UNHCR, Oxfam and the World Food Programme – were last night being accommodated in Camp Ciara. Others were staying in compounds and offices in Goz Beida owned by their organisations.

The Irish troops have not yet had any visual contact with the rebels.

The heavily armed group is believed to belong to factions opposed to the Chadian government. Reports from the area indicated the rebels may be planning to travel across Chad to attack the capital N’djamena, as they did in February 2008.

A Defence Forces spokesman said all necessary precautions were being taken.

The situation was being “actively monitored” to ensure a safe and secure environment in the Irish troops’ area of responsibility.

Victor Angelo yesterday visited Camp Ciara. He was briefed on the tense security situation by the commander of the Irish troops, Lieut Col Joe McDonagh.

Last week a senior UN official warned the mission in Chad was seriously compromised because of a chronic shortage of troops and helicopters and said humanitarian agencies were “alarmed” at increasing armed attacks on their personnel.