Peacekeepers in Chad should have option to use force to protect innocent refugees

I AM writing in response to Antony Barnwell’s short letter (‘Peace enforcers’, July 1) and in defence of Ann Cahill and media commentators like her.

While I agree with Mr Barnwell that there are certain parts of Chad where there is relatively little or no peace to be kept, I do not think this should be a justification for the international community (including the EU) to evade its responsibility to protect civilians in danger of persecution.

Having recently travelled to Chad, I visited camps inhabited by more than 250,000 Darfuri refugees along the Chad/Sudanese border who have fled their own country in fear of atrocities being perpetrated by the Sudanese government.