Department rejects Western Sahara troop claims

Withdrawal of troops 'in no way represents any reduction in our commitment'

Green Party TD Patrick Costello: Called for Ireland to raise the issue of self-determination for the region at the UN Security Council. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

The Department of Defence has denied that the withdrawal of two Irish troops from Western Sahara represents a reduction in commitment to the region.

Two Irish personnel had been with the UN Minurso mission until July in the former Spanish North African territory which was annexed by Morocco in 1975. 

Last year, the outgoing Trump administration in the US recognised the Moroccan claim to the region in exchange for Morocco establishing relations with Israel. That move came a month after the Polisario Front, Western Sahara’s independence movement, ended a 29-year ceasefire with Morocco to resume its armed struggle.

Green Party TD Patrick Costello has called for Ireland to raise the issue of self-determination for the region at the UN Security Council on which the country sits. Mr Costello wants Ireland to push for a human rights mandate to be added to the Minurso mission when the Security Council votes on Wednesday.

'Moral case to act'

"Our seat at the Security Council table and the fact we have Irish boots on the ground mean we have a responsibility to act anyway, but our own rhetoric on human rights and international law, if they are to be more than just empty words, make the moral case to act," said Mr Costello. 

"The upcoming Security Council session provides Ireland an opportunity to act."

A Department of Defence spokesperson said Ireland remains committed to peace in the region.

"The withdrawal of two personnel arises from a need to consolidate current operational deployments in the context of additional commitments by Ireland in recent years to peacekeeping operations, including UNDOF, Minusma, EUTM Mali, and EU CSDP Operation IRINI.

"Ireland remains a strong supporter of the United Nations role and its engagement in the Western Sahara. The withdrawal of troops by Ireland from the Minurso mission in no way represents any reduction in our commitment to the mission or to the UN’s role in this regard.