Galway soldiers play their part

Chad is one of the poorest and most corrupt countries in the world – but one where Irish soldiers, many of them based at Renmore Barracks, are endeavouring to bring both peace and stability through their work with the UN. This landlocked country in central Africa is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west.Bur while it is a largely semi-desert country, Chad is also rich in gold and uranium and stands to benefit from its recently-acquired status as an oil-exporting state.It has a long history of civil instability but in 2003, unrest in neighbouring Sudan's Darfur region spilled across the border, along with hundreds of thousands of Sudanese refugees.Ireland has played its part in attempting to bring a degree of stability to the region, contributing to the EU force that has a specific UN mandate to protect refugees, aid workers and UN personnel.Unlike previous UN peacekeeping missions in Bosnia, the troops on the ground are able to use force if they deem it necessary.The majority of the 100 Infantry Battalion currently serving in Chad are from the 4 Western Brigade, with 80 Galway based soldiers among their ranks – including Captain Brian Connolly from Menlo on the outskirts of Galway city. For the duration of their mission, the 100 Inf Bn will maintain a high visibility presence, to project the UN mission in the Central African Republic and Chad in a strong and positive way to the people – not to mention to show a strong presence to the rebels and bandits in Chad.Operation Pioneer was launched all through the operational sectors of the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT), as part of the UN plan to provide a safe and secure environment for the people of Chad and the refugees from Dafur in Sudan.“For the 100 Irish Battalion in Sector South, it meant putting a Company on the ground for five days and four nights,” explains Capt Connolly, who is a son of former Galway hurling great Joe Connolly and his wife Cathy. “It was to comprise four platoons: three from the Irish Battalion – one of which I am Platoon Commander of – and one from the Finnish Unit, stationed in the Irish camp with us, under the control of the Irish Commander in Sector South, Lt Col Ian Hanna from Athlone. “This long range patrol was to be bigger and longer than any other patrol the Irish had done before.“The mission, essentially, was to get out there and fly the UN flag and to show the people in the Irish Battalion area of operations that the Irish and the UN were there to keep them safe. This was no mean feat for the Company considering the area that had to be covered and the “trafficability” of the roads,” he adds. The Irish soldiers soon discovered that rain increases water levels in the wadis – and 18 and a half tons of MOWAG doesn’t float very well! “The normal two hour journey to KoukouAngarana lasted six hours and 40 minutes and not a traffic jam in sight, although the convoy did run into a 1,000 head of cattle the Nomads were evacuating for the rainy season. “After five vehicle recoveries from the mud “en route” the convoy eventually got there. Earlier that morning No. 1 Platoon had gone into Kerfi village by helicopter and set up a patrol base at the APOD. Their task was to carry out foot patrols of the village, escorting Irish CIMIC teams into the area. “The village itself was cut off to the convoy by land, so a new platoon had to be 'inserted’ on a daily basis with Medics, CIMIC and Signals personnel. The rest of convoy had to set up a Company Forward Observation Base in KoukouAngarana and secure the APOD there.“From this point the patrol HQ would send out armoured foot patrols into the villages of KoukouAngarana itself and Goz Amer on an erratic but constant basis,” he says. At one stage a patrol reached within 2km of their objective – but Brian admits it might as well have been 200. Working in such heat, one of the priorities was to give soldiers enough “down time” between patrols, so that they didn’t dehydrate. That was exacerbated by the fact that all of the patrols into Kerfi were carried out in “flakkers” (body armour), an issue which tested all in this heat, but was necessary due to the absence of vehicles to carry them on the move.With the platoons still rotating in and out of Kerfi from the Company forward observation base in KoukouAngarana, the routine was well established. “The local DIS (UN-employed police tasked with protecting refugee camps) Commander called to the forward observation base one day to inform the patrol HQ that he was very happy with the Irish being there, in fact everybody was. “And even better, he also said that “bandits” were 30 to 40km away, but would not come here as the Irish were here.“By day five the intense patrolling had paid off with the local community, as they were happy to shake the hands of the soldiers on patrol and know what their faces and voices sound like .They were even learnt a few choice Irish words. “The high tempo, though, had paid its price on the Irish company and, of course, their Finnish friends, (who also taught the Irish some choice Finnish words!).“Eyes and legs were tired, some had been evacuated for dehydration, bites, exhaustion, but one thing is common amongst all of the Operation Pioneer Patrol – a sense of satisfaction that they came out to do a job worthwhile doing.“Thirty-three patrols later and with uniforms a dull brown colour and smelling sweetly, the convoy tried to get back to Camp MINURCAT. According to a heli-recce carried out that morning, the rain in Goz Beida had more or less cut the convoy off from cool water, soft drinks and clean clothes,” explains Brian. “But it was decided to try, and as “this is Africa – the land where anything is possible or impossible, depending on the time of day”, the convoy got through in two hours….straight into “replen” for the next patrol.”