Vol. 418 No. 5
21 Mr. Currie asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs whether he will have raised the issue of the conflict in Sudan in the United Nations calling for an immediate truce in the fratricide war and for international action from neutral parties to encourage the Sudanese leaders on both sides to come together to agree on a peaceful settlement, and if he will make a statement on the matter.
There was hope last year that a solution might be found to the civil war, as a result of international efforts, not least that of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) under the chairmanship of President Babangida of Nigeria. However, as on many occasions in the past, these hopes and endeavours came to nothing. The Government deplore the recent renewed fighting between Sudanese Government troops and the SPLA (Sudan People's Liberation Army) in Southern Sudan which only adds to the misery of an already suffering civilian population.
Ireland continues to raise the situation in Sudan, whenever the occasion arises, and to stress the need to respond to the human tragedy in that country. Through our Permanent Mission in New York, we are in contact with the United Nations. While not wishing to be pessimistic, we have to recognise the gulf that exists between the parties. The cultural and religious divide between the two communities, and the dissension that exists within those communities, exacerbate an already difficult political conflict. Nonetheless, we shall continue to encourage the parties, and the international community, to work for a cease-fire, with a view to resolving a conflict which has bedevilled Sudan for decades.
