Fears for neutrality ahead of Irish troop aid to Mali coup regime

SERIOUS concerns have been raised in the Dáil by Sinn Féin over the imminent deployment of Irish troops to Mali to train regime forces in that country's three-sided civil war. A number of other TDs say the deployment of troops as part of an EU force will undermine Irish neutrality.

Minister of State Fergus O'Dowd, who was answering questions in the Dáil on Thursday evening on behalf of Defence Minister Alan Shatter, said he expects eight Irish troops to be in Mali by the end of the month at a cost of €636,000 to the taxpayer.

As fewer than 12 troops are being deployed, the move does not require approval from the Dáil or Seanad. Irish forces will be deployed alongside troops from Britain to train Malian Government forces. The Malian Government came to power in a military coup  in 2012. In December soldiers kidnapped the country's interim-Prime Minister and forced him to resign on national television.

Speaking in the chamber, Sinn Féin Justice and Defence spokesperson Pádraig Mac Lochlainn said that Irish neutrality is being undermined by “picking sides” and increasingly working alongside NATO forces.

In response, Fergus O'Dowd claimed in defence of the Government that Ireland is merely complying with UN Security Council resolutions in aiding the Malian regime.

Mac Lochlainn retorted:

"There are also long-standing Security Council resolutions in relation to Israel and the West Bank, yet we're not sending Irish Defence Forces to help the people of Palestine, so these things are optional."

Fianna Fáil, ULA and Independent TDs also raised concerns over the mission and backed the Sinn Féin TD's calls for a Dáil debate on the issue.