Irish brigades keep a tentative peace

Breslin reports on the work of Irish troops stationed in Liberia.

LATE on the Thursday evening, Irish troops in Camp Clara in Monrovia, Liberia were put on a heightened state of alert.

Reports were coming in of outbreaks of violence in various parts of the city and the Irish were on standby to act as a rapid reaction back up force for Nigerian and Ghanaian troops.

The word spread among the troops, most of them members of 2 Eastern Brigade, that this was looking like the worst outbreak of violence in the city since the Defence Forces were deployed there exactly a year ago.

Early the following morning, October 29, the 120 troops of Bravo Company under Cdt Mark Hearns moved out of the camp in a convoy of Mowag armoured personnel carriers. They had orders to secure the United Nations headquarters in the centre of the city.

Updates on the violence were flowing in from across the city. Mosques, churches and schools were being burnt, people were being hacked to death. Mobs were prowling through Jacob’s Town and Paynesville and down towards the main port area, Freeport.

All UN troops on the ground had orders from the Liberian interim government to use lethal force if necessary. A curfew was imposed.

After arriving at the UN centre, new orders were given and the convoy was told to make its way to Mambo Point, where a number of key government installations are situated and which is home to many of those working for non-government organisations and the UN.

Bravo Company were moving slowly in armoured personnel carriers through the riot torn streets of Monrovia. As they turned down one street, the troops came face to face with a lynch mob, and its victim.

Cdt Seán Fox, operations officer in Monrovia, said the mob were ready to lynch their victim when the Irish troops arrived.

There was a stand off between the Irish troops and the crowd. The soldier in the lead carrier was ordered to fire warning shots over the crowd. Three or four were fired and that was enough to disperse the crowd.

The Irish are deployed as the strong arm of the UN military force in Liberia. “They tend to run when they see the APCs,” said Cdt Fox.

The troops managed to secure the area, rescue the civilian and ferry him to hospital. He was badly burned.

As the violence continued across the city, the Irish troops cordoned off Mambo Point, manning four road blocks around the area.

When the smoke cleared across the city and calm restored, it emerged that 16 people were killed and 208 injured.

Most of those killed were shot, hacked with machetes or burned alive.

While all is calm in the city now, following a UN-brokered meeting involving community and religious leaders, “the situation here is deteriorating. The long term problems are still here and are unresolved,” said Cdt Fox.