Irish soldiers on peacekeeping duty in eastern Chad are anticipating clashes with rebels and bandits after beginning long-term patrols to coincide with the end of the rainy season.

Some 413 Irish troops are at the Camp Ciara base in Goz Beida as part of a 3,700-strong EU peace enforcement mission, EUfor.

EUfor is mandated by the United Nations to provide security for refugees and internally displaced persons in Chad.

Sgt Jemma Donovan is one of the 25 Irish female soldiers based at the camp for the past month and will remain in Chad until her four-month tour comes to an end.

"I went on a short range patrol last week. We went into Goz Beida. The troops here before us built up a good relationship with the locals. They know we're here to help them if there are any problems. The kids were all running up to us and smiling. It's nice to know we're making a difference," she told the Sunday Tribune.

Since the battalion arrived, there have been just a few long-range patrols due to the weather. "It's the end of the rainy season here and a lot of our movement has been restricted. We can't travel too far yet but that will begin to change now," said Capt Jason Culloty, information officer at Camp Ciara.

"We have all acclimatised to the 40-degree heat here," he added.

The end of the rainy season has also facilitated greater movement of rebels and the potential for attacks.

"With the wet season ending, there is increased mobility and potential for attacks. Rumours, propaganda and misadventure abound but we are aware there are indications that operationally, things are hotting up," Lieut Gen Pat Nash, the Irish EUfor operation commander of the Chad mission, told the Sunday Tribune.

"We don't expect our troops to be involved in potential rebel attacks. It's the spoilers who come after them." Spoilers are criminals and bandits who arrive in the wake of the rebels, who enter the region through Sudan, just 70km from the Irish camp.

While the majority of the 500 troops at Camp Ciara are Irish, several Dutch soldiers and French and Ukrainian personnel are also based there. There are also two other EUfor camps in separate regions of Chad.

The day begins at 5am for the soldiers and their first parade is at 6.30am. Troops are then assigned to operational duties for either short or long-range patrols or administrative work. "At the moment, we're establishing relationships with village leaders. It's important for us to ensure they know we're a neutral force. So far everyone we've met has been pleased by our presence," Capt Culloty said.

At the beginning of the month, the international aid organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) withdrew its staff from the area of Chad Irish troops are charged with securing because it had become too dangerous.

The agency blamed its withdrawal on a significant increase in the number of armed attacks on its personnel. In response, EUfor said the vast majority of aid organisations remain in the region.

At Camp Ciara, Irish county flags fly from many of the air-conditioned tents and there is great camaraderie between the troops, according to Sgt Donovan. "The time is flying out here. It's something I always wanted to do, my father served in the Congo so it's a bit of a family tradition. I miss my parents and my fiancé but he's in the defence forces as well, so he understands. The food is very good, something different nearly every day and there's internet and phone access too. I do miss ice-cream in the heat out here too," she added.