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What ever became of this ?It was wrten last May....
Troops await call-up for UN Congo mission -
IRISH peacekeeping troops are on stand-by, awaiting a call-up to join a UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Defence Minister Michael Smith has indicated he is strongly in favour of joining the mission if all of the Government's requirements for overseas service are met. But the Government has not yet learned officially if Ireland will be asked to contribute troops to the 18-month-long mission.
European Union defence ministers, including Mr Smith, responded positively to a request from the UN to send troops when they met in Brussels last week.
However, an invitation to join could pose legislative problems for the Government if the mission does not have a mandate from the UN Security Council which is part of the "triple lock" mechanism needed to send peace troops overseas.
Apart from the UN Security Council, the mission must also have the approval of the Government and the Oireachtas and without one or more of the three, the law must be changed if the Defence Forces are to become involved.
Two Irish officers are attached to the 700-strong UN observer mission in the north-east of the country. The group has been pulled back to the town of Bunia for its own protection.
The Defence Forces will send out a military reconnaissance team if a request for troops is received. Don Lavery writes: If the army takes part in the mission in the Congo it will be returning to the scene of its first major UN operation 43 years ago.
More than 6,000 Irish soldiers took part in the Congo mission from 1960-64 and the force suffered 26 deaths.
The mission, which saw Irish soldiers sent to Africa in bullswool uniforms with home-made armoured cars and obsolete weapons, led to more modern training and equipment for the Army in the 1960s.
Tom Brady
Security Editor - -Irish Independent
May 14, 2003
Troops await call-up for UN Congo mission -
IRISH peacekeeping troops are on stand-by, awaiting a call-up to join a UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Defence Minister Michael Smith has indicated he is strongly in favour of joining the mission if all of the Government's requirements for overseas service are met. But the Government has not yet learned officially if Ireland will be asked to contribute troops to the 18-month-long mission.
European Union defence ministers, including Mr Smith, responded positively to a request from the UN to send troops when they met in Brussels last week.
However, an invitation to join could pose legislative problems for the Government if the mission does not have a mandate from the UN Security Council which is part of the "triple lock" mechanism needed to send peace troops overseas.
Apart from the UN Security Council, the mission must also have the approval of the Government and the Oireachtas and without one or more of the three, the law must be changed if the Defence Forces are to become involved.
Two Irish officers are attached to the 700-strong UN observer mission in the north-east of the country. The group has been pulled back to the town of Bunia for its own protection.
The Defence Forces will send out a military reconnaissance team if a request for troops is received. Don Lavery writes: If the army takes part in the mission in the Congo it will be returning to the scene of its first major UN operation 43 years ago.
More than 6,000 Irish soldiers took part in the Congo mission from 1960-64 and the force suffered 26 deaths.
The mission, which saw Irish soldiers sent to Africa in bullswool uniforms with home-made armoured cars and obsolete weapons, led to more modern training and equipment for the Army in the 1960s.
Tom Brady
Security Editor - -Irish Independent
May 14, 2003
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