Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea has received an apology from the UN after a spokeswoman criticised Irish forces patrolling the Chad-Darfur border.
The spokeswoman said the troops had not intervened when armed rebels looted their compound, which is just 9km from the Irish base.
Rebels entered the offices of the UN's refugee agency last Saturday and threatened staff at gunpoint while stealing satellite phones as well as fuel.
A UNHCR spokeswoman in Chad told the Irish Times: ‘If a humanitarian base is attacked, and we were, logic tells you they should have protected us.’
However, speaking on RTÉ Radio's Morning Ireland, Minister O'Dea said the Defence Forces had acted when they were informed of the incident and moved more than 200 humanitarian staff to their base, Camp Ciara.
He said he had received thanks from UN staff on the ground and, this morning, also received an apology for the criticism that had been levelled at the Defence Forces from the UNHCR spokeswoman.
Mr O'Dea is currently on a three-day visit to Chad where he has met Irish soldiers at their camp near Goz Beida.
Yesterday, he was forced to cancel a planned visit to refugee camps in the Irish area of operation because of the security situation.
