Chadian government officials have told Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern that they will co-operate fully with the forthcoming EU deployment to Chad's restive eastern region, saying they believe the troops will help stabilise the area.
The Minister is on a three-day visit to Sudan and Chad to discuss the possible participation of more than 300 Irish troops in the predominantly French mission charged with protecting Darfuri refugees and displaced Chadians living in camps in eastern Chad.
The Dáil is expected to approve the Irish deployment next week.
Mr Ahern held meetings with Chad's prime minister, defence minister and foreign minister following his arrival in the capital N'Djamena yesterday morning.
He said he had received guarantees from the Chadian government that they would assist the UN-mandated force in "whatever way they can". Mr Ahern was in N'Djamena a day after thousands of students staged a violent anti-French demonstration in response to the alleged attempted abduction last month of 103 African children by a French charity operating in Chad.
Chad's foreign minister Ahmed Allam-Mi told reporters the controversy would have no impact on the deployment.
"Zoe's Ark [ the French charity] is now over," he said, "The EU force is coming here to secure the UN mission in the east and secure refugees, IDPs [ internally displaced persons] and humanitarian workers but also to create conditions for the reconstruction of the eastern zone of the country and, to an extent, to pacify the border with Sudan."
Chad, he added, pledged its "co-operation, assistance and support" to the force. Mr Ahern said he had assured Chadian officials that Ireland's involvement in the EU mission was purely humanitarian.
Since early 2006, Ireland has provided €6 million to the landlocked nation, one of the poorest and least stable in Africa.