Irish peacekeepers due to arrive in Chad this morning

An advanced party of Irish Army Rangers is due to arrive in the capital of Chad this morning to take part in an EU peacekeeping mission in the east of the country.

The soldiers are scheduled to arrive in N'Djamena at around 9.30am Irish time, after which they face a 900km road journey to their area of operations.

Their mission is aimed at protecting refugees from neighbouring Darfur and creating a safe environment for humanitarian workers.

The 50 Irish soldiers arriving today are the first contingent of 400 Defence Forces personnel that Ireland is contributing to the EU peacekeeping force.