UN directive leaves Defence Forces facing delay in coming home
Nearly 400 Irish troops on overseas peacekeeping duty face uncertainty about when they will be able to return home after the UN suspended all movement of its forces until June 30 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, the UN also said that each nation supplying it with troops could apply for exemptions to this directive.
The bulk of the Irish troops are serving in Lebanon with UNIFIL and they were due to fly home to their families by mid or late May at the latest.
Members of the elite Army Ranger Wing (ARW) are deployed in Mali, but are part of a German contingent who have airlift capability and it may therefore be easier to get them home on time.
There are also other troops on peacekeeping/peace-monitoring missions in Western Sahara and the Democratic Republic of Congo who need to get home.
It is understood the Department of Defence and senior Defence Forces officers are examining ways in which they might be able to get all the troops home on time.
However, according to military sources repatriation is likely to be more complicated than before due to restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
For starters, all the troops will have to undergo 14 days of self-isolation before they leave the country they are in and a further 14 days when they return.
In addition, for larger contingents like the one in Lebanon it is more complicated. Because of their numbers it would take additional flights to enforce social distancing.
A source within the Defence Forces said that all their troops abroad had been informed of the UN directive and liaison officers are also keeping their families up to speed on the issues.
“A definitive decision has not been made yet. We appreciate it is very hard for the troops and their families,” the source said.
There is no issue, however, with peacekeepers who are operating in the Golan Heights, on the Israeli/Syrian borders because a new contingent was posted there recently and is not due home for several months.
There have been previous delays in getting troops home on time, primarily because there were issues with paperwork at borders.
However, this is more complicated as many borders are in lockdown because of the pandemic.
Also, the Defence Forces don't possess aircraft with the range to pick up troops in the likes of Mali and have to rely on the goodwill of other nations.
