O'Dea visits African refugees

Defence Minister Willie O'Dea is today visiting thousands of refugees living in camps on the border between Chad and Darfur.

The Limerick TD is on a three-day official trip to the troubled African region to boost morale among 400 Irish troops serving in the year-long Eufor mission.

Minister O'Dea will also meet with senior NGO aid workers and be briefed on the current humanitarian situation on the ground.

Almost 450,000 refugees and internally displaced people have fled violent conflict in Darfur.

"Irish troops are responsible for protecting and securing the area around these refugee camps to ensure that the refugees can live free from fear of attack and that humanitarian aid is safely distributed to them," Mr O'Dea's spokeswoman said.

Minister O'Dea is accompanied on the visit to Chad by Defence Forces chief-of-staff, Lt Gen Dermot Earley and Department of Defence officials.

The Eufor mission in Chad is mandated to run for a 12-month period until March 2009.

Mr O'Dea has described the operation as one of the most challenging missions ever undertaken by the Defence Forces.

A group of 50 Army Rangers Wing officers and 60 military construction personnel returned home to Ireland last week after a three-month mission in Chad to prepare infrastructure for the main troop contingent.