200 Irish troops to serve in peace army in Ethiopia

Irish peacekeeping troops will be part of a 4,300 strong force that will be deployed in Ethiopia and Eritrea to try to bring an end to one of the bloodiest conflicts in Africa.

Up to 200 members of the Irish army will be sent to the troubled African region and comes as a welcome boost to the defence forces as the mission in the Lebanon begins to be wound down.

There are currently 821 Irish troops serving abroad, most of whom are serving in Lebanon and East Timor.