DF deployment to Chad - Page 71

Victor · 31st May 2010, 00:34

Spectre of famine haunts Chad as funds diverted to strengthen army

Oil money for poverty relief projects has been withheld from the starving population, writes JODY CLARKE

IT IS 12 metres high, cost over $30 million and stands as a showcase for Central Africa, according to the man who commissioned it.

But the statue of a horseman standing on the rond-point de la Grande Armée, a roundabout in the Centre of the Chadian capital N’djamena, could come to symbolise more than “the shining feat of arms” of the country’s army.

Because as Chad faces its worst food crisis in half-a-century, new oil money intended for agriculture, health and education has instead been diverted to the army, now one of sub-Saharan’s best equipped.

And as two million people face the worst hunger known for a generation, the government has been busily buying new weapons and other military equipment.

It is enough to fill the letters page of any newspaper for a year. But in Chad, a country run by the same man for 20 years, there is little its 11 million citizens can do.

“We’re just poor people” says one man in Bilget, a small village in Am-Dam district, northeastern Chad. “Nobody cares about us.”

The rains have failed in Bilget, as well as most of the Sahelian belt, a band of semi-arid land that stretches south of the Sahara from Mauritania in the west to Chad in the east. In November 2009, the UN World Food Programme warned of a food crisis, putting out out a figure that revealed that there had been a 34 per cent decrease in food production in 2009 from the previous year.

Now, “people are talking about the worst food crisis in 50 years” says John Holmes, UN under secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and. emergency relief co-ordinator.

Last year, just 369 mm of rain fell in 17 days in Am-Dam, according to the district’s chief engineer, Nekarambaya Kamndo, compared to 596 mm over 40 days in 2000.

As a result the local harvest, which should normally produce 500 kg of sorghum and 900 kg of maize per hectare, has this year come up with nothing.

“This is the worst year ever” he says. “There is absolutely nothing. All has been lost.”

Ghost towns are springing up across the dry landscape as people abandon their homes for work in the cities.

The local hospital, meanwhile, is already recording a malnutrition rate of 18 per cent among children, a “real catastrophe” says its administration chief, Moussa Sharif.

The government does little. Some 19 civil servants in the hospital have not been paid in at least eight months and Bilget, although it has drawn up its own development plan, can’t find the money to fund it. “The government is doing nothing,” is the repeated message in the village. One of the leaders on the local governing board says it will cost one million CFA francs to build a well, a fraction of the cost of the N’jdamena roundabout. “But we can’t afford it.” And with little help from the authorities, people are resorting to the most desperate measures to stay alive.

On a 900 km drive east across the country, every village we stopped at was engaged in the same activities. Ant hills are dug up in search of the tiny grains dragged there by the insects, while other have begun boiling up leaves to mix with whatever stores they have left.

Some people have even begun eating animal feed.

At 750 CFA francs for 50 kg, it’s a good deal cheaper than the subsidised government food sacks, which are selling for 5000 CFA francs.

Of course, it shouldn’t be like this. Oil revenue rose from around 300 billion CFA francs in the early 2000s to 1,000 billion in 2009. The World Bank helped get the fledgling industry going, financing the development of the 1,600-kilometre, $4.2 billion pipeline from Chad through Cameroon to the sea.

The Chadian government, meanwhile, promised to invest the majority of the oil revenue in poverty-relief projects. Some 10 per cent of the profits were to be stashed in a rainy-day fund for future generations, while another 80 per cent was earmarked for Chad’s development.

But in January 2006, Chad’s president Idriss Deby raided the fund’s coffers, stating that he needed the money to buy more weapons to deal with rebels in the east funded by Sudan. Chad’s military spending has now gone from $14 million to $315 million between 2000 and 2009, an increase of over 2000 per cent.

How can the government find money for its military and not for its people? “I will ask that question at the next session of parliament” says Ahmat Mahamat Yousouf, the local MP.

He is in Am-Dam registering people to vote for November’s legislative elections. Coincidentally, says one wry observer, just two weeks after the government made its one and only distribution of food sacks.

“ Voter pour manger ” he says. “ Vote to Eat .” However, government authorities only distributed 1,500 50kg sacks in Am-Dam, a district that is home to 80,000 people.

One sack feeds a family of seven for about 15 days, so even if people could find the money to buy one, there is only enough food for 10,000 people for half a month.

Not surprisingly, food prices for animal feed are on the up. Ground nut oil residue, a flaky material that looks like brittle tiles, is selling at 500 CFA francs for a bowl in Bilget market against 100 several months ago.

Animals, meanwhile, are dying for lack of water and food.

Unis Youuoif (65) says he usually has 100 cattle but has lost 10. “And I will lose more soon as there is nothing here. People are coming from 200km away because they think there was a well here, even though it has dried up. It is truly catastrophic. The people have no money to buy food.”

Meanwhile, the desert continues to expand south, with little money available to fund a grand tree-planting scheme promised by the government. Approximately 10 million trees were to be planted over two years, but getting the money to fund it has been difficult.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...271503594.html

parade boy · 21st June 2010, 18:12

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ppoc7BFaegk

Baz gets to Chad.

pilatus · 25th June 2010, 08:28

I missed this show.Does anyone know if there will be a repeat of it or is there a link to it online?Thanks

hedgehog · 25th June 2010, 08:35

Mate try the RTE I Player

if you have a look around the board

you will find someone posted a link-

It was a good programme, you will see prior to his going on patrol he makes a big thing

about how the Chefs are his mates and they even gave him a food parcel

contained in the parcel was a couple of boxes of high fibre crackers-

all the real Soldiers would be using shite clogger buscuits AB- where as poor old Baz

would have been as regular as an alpen loving swiss couple-

you got to love them cooks

RoyalGreenJacket · 25th June 2010, 08:47

it's on the RTE player, if you are outside Ireland just get a working proxy to view it.

apod · 25th June 2010, 15:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilatus

I missed this show.Does anyone know if there will be a repeat of it or is there a link to it online?Thanks

Repeated saturday night AFAIK.

ollie · 25th June 2010, 20:43

on saturday night at 11pm afaik

paul · 11th July 2010, 17:45

Just out of intrest, does anyone know what tents they used over there while on patrol?

holdfast · 11th July 2010, 21:08

MSR, the same as liberia. Dont know model

Goldie fish · 26th July 2010, 09:43

Defence Forces equipment returns from Chad
Monday 26 July, 2010

The Minister for Defence, Mr Tony Killeen TD, accompanied by Defence Forces Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Sean McCann, will be in Dublin Port at 1 pm today, Monday, the 26th of July 2010, to observe the return of Defence Forces equipment from Chad.

The arrival of the equipment in Dublin represents the final phase of a major logistics operation which began in April, following a Government decision to commence the drawdown of Irish troops from Chad.

The operation commenced with the dismantling of Defence Forces facilities in Goz Beida, Eastern Chad. Cargo was then moved some 900km across the desert to a staging area in the capital, N’Djamena. From there, sensitive cargo was flown to the Cameroon Port of Douala. The remainder of the Defence Forces equipment was moved 900km by road to Ngaoundere in Northern Cameroon, and a further 650km by rail to the port of Douala. This movement took place under the impending threat of the onset of the rainy season (May – September) which renders transport by wheeled vehicle difficult to impossible. All equipment was then loaded onto the MV Grande Senegal, which set sail from Douala on the 13th of July 2010 on its 9,600km voyage to Dublin. Over 3,000 tonnes of equipment was shipped, including 208 TEU containers and 75 trucks, 4x4s and armoured vehicles. An assortment of trailers, fuel bowsers and other wheeled units is also included in the consignment.

The mission to Chad represented one of the most challenging logistical operations ever undertaken by the Irish Defence Forces. Chad is approximately twice the size of France, with little or no infrastructure. There are only 380km of hard-surfaced roads in the country, most of which are concentrated around the capital city of N’Djamena. The Irish Area of Operations (Sector South) was approximately the size of Munster and was situated in one of the most remote parts of the country.

The Irish camp in Goz Beida was built on a greenfield site in the desert. All of the necessary life support systems were either flown in or built on site. Wells were drilled for water, sanitation and fuel systems were installed and communication and accommodation facilities were constructed. Fuel, food and drinking water were all carefully managed as each had to be either flown into the local airstrip or transported on road convoys across the desert.

Commenting on the logistical challenges presented by the mission in Chad, Defence Forces Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Sean McCann said:

“The logistical challenges faced in Chad were immense, and the contribution of Defence Forces logistics personnel to the success of the mission cannot be overstated. The successful deployment, sustainment and recovery of all necessary equipment to facilitate the conduct of operations in one of the most remote areas of the world, is testament to the expeditionary skills of the organisation. “

ZULU · 10th August 2010, 19:40

Working with a few guys who put all the containerised gensets together for the DF for Chad. Interesting chats. Turns out he was in the Reserve for a while too.

RoyalGreenJacket · 10th August 2010, 19:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goldie fish

Commenting on the logistical challenges presented by the mission in Chad, Defence Forces Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Sean McCann said:

“The logistical challenges faced in Chad were immense, and the contribution of Defence Forces logistics personnel to the success of the mission cannot be overstated. The successful deployment, sustainment and recovery of all necessary equipment to facilitate the conduct of operations in one of the most remote areas of the world, is testament to the expeditionary skills of the organisation. “

this says it all for me.

well done lads, a job well done - in all respects.

sofa · 10th August 2010, 22:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by RoyalGreenJacket

this says it all for me.

well done lads, a job well done - in all respects.

+1

Hello Alaska · 11th August 2010, 02:24

He talks about how great the DF's expeditionary skills are yet we had to rent choppers because the Bluftwaffe can't deploy their own for the lads to use.

The mind boggles.

Tempest · 11th August 2010, 20:14

Hello Alaska,

The Bluftwaffes ability to deploy overseas helo assets has been discussed on various threads ad nauseum

They don't have enough experience flying in support of ground forces; they don't have the manpower to deploy to keep machines flying overseas; they don't have suitable military helos with appropriate extra kit to cope with desert deployment.

So it makes sense to hire eminently capable and experienced helos! Assuming the DoD get the contracts right!

Hello Alaska · 11th August 2010, 21:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tempest

Hello Alaska,

The Bluftwaffes ability to deploy overseas helo assets has been discussed on various threads ad nauseum

They don't have enough experience flying in support of ground forces; they don't have the manpower to deploy to keep machines flying overseas; they don't have suitable military helos with appropriate extra kit to cope with desert deployment.

So it makes sense to hire eminently capable and experienced helos! Assuming the DoD get the contracts right!

I'm fully aware of that.

Which is why I was saying that the CoS' claim about our expeditionary skills is stretching the truth somewhat.

sofa · 11th August 2010, 22:17

Besides the French and Poles.did any other country bring Choppers?

**DeV** · 11th August 2010, 22:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by sofa

Besides the French and Poles.did any other country bring Choppers?

Not sure what the military situation within Eastern Chad is at the minute but this is ALL that MINURCAT has at the minute:

N'Djamena:
Bde HQ Rear
Inf Coy (Togo)

Birao:
Inf Coy + (Togo)

Koukou Angarana:
Inf Coy - (Nepal)

Goz Beida:
Inf Bn - (Nepal)

Farchana:
Inf Bn - (Ghana)
Helicopter Pln (Bangladesh)

Abeche:
Bde HQ Forward
Inf Coy (Mongolia)
Helicopter Pln (Russia)

Iriba:
Inf Coy - (Ghana)
Helicopter Pln (Bangladesh)

http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic...o/MINURCAT.pdf

In effect in total:
Infantry Bde minus (logs units are usually marked on these maps so it looks like there isn't ANY!

)
Helicopter Coy

31st May 2010, 00:34	#1751
Victor C/S Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Dublin Posts: 2,232	Spectre of famine haunts Chad as funds diverted to strengthen army Spectre of famine haunts Chad as funds diverted to strengthen army Oil money for poverty relief projects has been withheld from the starving population, writes JODY CLARKE IT IS 12 metres high, cost over $30 million and stands as a showcase for Central Africa, according to the man who commissioned it. But the statue of a horseman standing on the rond-point de la Grande Armée, a roundabout in the Centre of the Chadian capital N’djamena, could come to symbolise more than “the shining feat of arms” of the country’s army. Because as Chad faces its worst food crisis in half-a-century, new oil money intended for agriculture, health and education has instead been diverted to the army, now one of sub-Saharan’s best equipped. And as two million people face the worst hunger known for a generation, the government has been busily buying new weapons and other military equipment. It is enough to fill the letters page of any newspaper for a year. But in Chad, a country run by the same man for 20 years, there is little its 11 million citizens can do. “We’re just poor people” says one man in Bilget, a small village in Am-Dam district, northeastern Chad. “Nobody cares about us.” The rains have failed in Bilget, as well as most of the Sahelian belt, a band of semi-arid land that stretches south of the Sahara from Mauritania in the west to Chad in the east. In November 2009, the UN World Food Programme warned of a food crisis, putting out out a figure that revealed that there had been a 34 per cent decrease in food production in 2009 from the previous year. Now, “people are talking about the worst food crisis in 50 years” says John Holmes, UN under secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and. emergency relief co-ordinator. Last year, just 369 mm of rain fell in 17 days in Am-Dam, according to the district’s chief engineer, Nekarambaya Kamndo, compared to 596 mm over 40 days in 2000. As a result the local harvest, which should normally produce 500 kg of sorghum and 900 kg of maize per hectare, has this year come up with nothing. “This is the worst year ever” he says. “There is absolutely nothing. All has been lost.” Ghost towns are springing up across the dry landscape as people abandon their homes for work in the cities. The local hospital, meanwhile, is already recording a malnutrition rate of 18 per cent among children, a “real catastrophe” says its administration chief, Moussa Sharif. The government does little. Some 19 civil servants in the hospital have not been paid in at least eight months and Bilget, although it has drawn up its own development plan, can’t find the money to fund it. “The government is doing nothing,” is the repeated message in the village. One of the leaders on the local governing board says it will cost one million CFA francs to build a well, a fraction of the cost of the N’jdamena roundabout. “But we can’t afford it.” And with little help from the authorities, people are resorting to the most desperate measures to stay alive. On a 900 km drive east across the country, every village we stopped at was engaged in the same activities. Ant hills are dug up in search of the tiny grains dragged there by the insects, while other have begun boiling up leaves to mix with whatever stores they have left. Some people have even begun eating animal feed. At 750 CFA francs for 50 kg, it’s a good deal cheaper than the subsidised government food sacks, which are selling for 5000 CFA francs. Of course, it shouldn’t be like this. Oil revenue rose from around 300 billion CFA francs in the early 2000s to 1,000 billion in 2009. The World Bank helped get the fledgling industry going, financing the development of the 1,600-kilometre, $4.2 billion pipeline from Chad through Cameroon to the sea. The Chadian government, meanwhile, promised to invest the majority of the oil revenue in poverty-relief projects. Some 10 per cent of the profits were to be stashed in a rainy-day fund for future generations, while another 80 per cent was earmarked for Chad’s development. But in January 2006, Chad’s president Idriss Deby raided the fund’s coffers, stating that he needed the money to buy more weapons to deal with rebels in the east funded by Sudan. Chad’s military spending has now gone from $14 million to $315 million between 2000 and 2009, an increase of over 2000 per cent. How can the government find money for its military and not for its people? “I will ask that question at the next session of parliament” says Ahmat Mahamat Yousouf, the local MP. He is in Am-Dam registering people to vote for November’s legislative elections. Coincidentally, says one wry observer, just two weeks after the government made its one and only distribution of food sacks. “ Voter pour manger ” he says. “ Vote to Eat .” However, government authorities only distributed 1,500 50kg sacks in Am-Dam, a district that is home to 80,000 people. One sack feeds a family of seven for about 15 days, so even if people could find the money to buy one, there is only enough food for 10,000 people for half a month. Not surprisingly, food prices for animal feed are on the up. Ground nut oil residue, a flaky material that looks like brittle tiles, is selling at 500 CFA francs for a bowl in Bilget market against 100 several months ago. Animals, meanwhile, are dying for lack of water and food. Unis Youuoif (65) says he usually has 100 cattle but has lost 10. “And I will lose more soon as there is nothing here. People are coming from 200km away because they think there was a well here, even though it has dried up. It is truly catastrophic. The people have no money to buy food.” Meanwhile, the desert continues to expand south, with little money available to fund a grand tree-planting scheme promised by the government. Approximately 10 million trees were to be planted over two years, but getting the money to fund it has been difficult. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...271503594.html __________________ Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. Margaret Mead

25th June 2010, 08:47	#1755
RoyalGreenJacket Colonel Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: a big Army base in England... Posts: 2,314	it's on the RTE player, if you are outside Ireland just get a working proxy to view it. __________________ RGJ *...Once a Rifleman - Always a Rifleman...* Celer et Audax “I swear by almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, her heirs and successors and that I will as in duty bound honestly and faithfully defend her Majesty, her heirs and successors in person, crown and dignity against all enemies and will observe and obey all orders of her Majesty, her heirs and successors and of the generals and officers set over me.”

25th June 2010, 20:43	#1757
ollie big baldy Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: between despair and hope Posts: 634	on saturday night at 11pm afaik __________________ the "BLISS" is good

11th July 2010, 17:45	#1758
paul Sargent Major Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: On The Square Posts: 919	Just out of intrest, does anyone know what tents they used over there while on patrol? __________________ Don't stand there GAWPING, like you've never seen the hand of God BEFORE!!

26th July 2010, 09:43	#1760
Goldie fish Vogon Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Cork Biy! Posts: 25,117	Defence Forces equipment returns from Chad Monday 26 July, 2010 The Minister for Defence, Mr Tony Killeen TD, accompanied by Defence Forces Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Sean McCann, will be in Dublin Port at 1 pm today, Monday, the 26th of July 2010, to observe the return of Defence Forces equipment from Chad. The arrival of the equipment in Dublin represents the final phase of a major logistics operation which began in April, following a Government decision to commence the drawdown of Irish troops from Chad. The operation commenced with the dismantling of Defence Forces facilities in Goz Beida, Eastern Chad. Cargo was then moved some 900km across the desert to a staging area in the capital, N’Djamena. From there, sensitive cargo was flown to the Cameroon Port of Douala. The remainder of the Defence Forces equipment was moved 900km by road to Ngaoundere in Northern Cameroon, and a further 650km by rail to the port of Douala. This movement took place under the impending threat of the onset of the rainy season (May – September) which renders transport by wheeled vehicle difficult to impossible. All equipment was then loaded onto the MV Grande Senegal, which set sail from Douala on the 13th of July 2010 on its 9,600km voyage to Dublin. Over 3,000 tonnes of equipment was shipped, including 208 TEU containers and 75 trucks, 4x4s and armoured vehicles. An assortment of trailers, fuel bowsers and other wheeled units is also included in the consignment. The mission to Chad represented one of the most challenging logistical operations ever undertaken by the Irish Defence Forces. Chad is approximately twice the size of France, with little or no infrastructure. There are only 380km of hard-surfaced roads in the country, most of which are concentrated around the capital city of N’Djamena. The Irish Area of Operations (Sector South) was approximately the size of Munster and was situated in one of the most remote parts of the country. The Irish camp in Goz Beida was built on a greenfield site in the desert. All of the necessary life support systems were either flown in or built on site. Wells were drilled for water, sanitation and fuel systems were installed and communication and accommodation facilities were constructed. Fuel, food and drinking water were all carefully managed as each had to be either flown into the local airstrip or transported on road convoys across the desert. Commenting on the logistical challenges presented by the mission in Chad, Defence Forces Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Sean McCann said: “The logistical challenges faced in Chad were immense, and the contribution of Defence Forces logistics personnel to the success of the mission cannot be overstated. The successful deployment, sustainment and recovery of all necessary equipment to facilitate the conduct of operations in one of the most remote areas of the world, is testament to the expeditionary skills of the organisation. “ __________________

21st June 2010, 18:12	#1752
parade boy Private 3* Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 28	http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ppoc7BFaegk Baz gets to Chad.

25th June 2010, 08:28	#1753
pilatus Recruit Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 149	I missed this show.Does anyone know if there will be a repeat of it or is there a link to it online?Thanks

11th July 2010, 21:08	#1759
holdfast Sergeant Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 78	MSR, the same as liberia. Dont know model

10th August 2010, 19:40	#1761
ZULU Teuton Foot Soldier Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: The Real Republic Posts: 5,639	Working with a few guys who put all the containerised gensets together for the DF for Chad. Interesting chats. Turns out he was in the Reserve for a while too. __________________ "When crunch comes to crunch your going to be asked to put everything aside; humanity, personality, morality, ethics, your family, knowledge, education and your society and operate to the limit of human ferocity"

11th August 2010, 02:24	#1764
Hello Alaska Ehhhhhhhh!? Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Looking In Your Window........ Posts: 1,386	He talks about how great the DF's expeditionary skills are yet we had to rent choppers because the Bluftwaffe can't deploy their own for the lads to use. The mind boggles.

11th August 2010, 20:14	#1765
Tempest Private 2* Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 19	Hello Alaska, The Bluftwaffes ability to deploy overseas helo assets has been discussed on various threads ad nauseum They don't have enough experience flying in support of ground forces; they don't have the manpower to deploy to keep machines flying overseas; they don't have suitable military helos with appropriate extra kit to cope with desert deployment. So it makes sense to hire eminently capable and experienced helos! Assuming the DoD get the contracts right!

11th August 2010, 22:17	#1767
sofa BQMS Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 628	Besides the French and Poles.did any other country bring Choppers?

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