Nora Owen
Question:40 Mrs. Owen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on the council meeting of 16 May 1994 in relation to the EU response to the crisis in Rwanda.
Written Answers. - Rwanda Crisis.
The main elements of the Government's approach to the terrible conflict in Rwanda were set out in my speech to the Dáil on 5 May. Subsequently I asked that the matter be placed on the agenda of the Foreign Affairs Council on 16-17 May. The conflict was considered in depth by Foreign Ministers of the European Union and the main lines of the Union's response are set out in a Declaration issued after the meeting. The Declaration incorporates the key points of Ireland's policy: support for a review by the UN Security Council of UNAMIR's size and mandate. This has now been carried out. On 17 May the Security Council in Resolution 918 agreed to an increase in the size of UNAMIR and expanded its mandate. The UN Secretary-General has sent his Chief Military Adviser to Rwanda to consult the parties on all aspects of UNAMIR's expanded mandate; support for the mission to Rwanda and Burundi by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The High Commissioner has visited Rwanda and I am arranging that a copy of his report be placed in the Dáil Library for the information of Deputies; support for an emergency meeting in Geneva of the UN Commission on Human Rights. This will now take place on 24-25 May. Although Ireland is not a member of the Commission we will attend as an observer and the Irish delegation is playing an active part in the European Union's preparations for the meeting; support for a UN Security Council arms embargo. This has now been imposed by the Security Council in Resolution 918; Foreign Ministers endorsed Ireland's proposal for an early visit by the Troika of Development Ministers to countries neighbouring Rwanda to evaluate the humanitarian situation and the Declaration also commits the European Union to increasing its humanitarian aid to the stricken population within Rwanda and to refugees in neighbouring countries.
I believe that the agreement in the Foreign Affairs Council gives significant international backing to Ireland's policy. We will continue to work in every way possible for a resolution of the conflict and for the alleviation of the suffering of the Rwandese people.
Nora Owen
Question:41 Mrs. Owen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if Ireland will assist in the provision of an airstrip at Nagara in Tanzania which will service the hundreds of thousands of refugees from Rwanda.
At its meeting on 11 May the Foreign Affairs Committee discussed the possibility of funding being made available from the Irish Aid Programme for the upgrading of the airstrip at Nagara in Tanzania so as to assist with the delivery of humanitarian relief to the Rwandan refugees in the area. In a resolution adopted at that meeting, the Committee urged that Irish Aid should take a lead role on this.
Two officers of the Irish Aid Programme in Tanzania, one of them an engineer, were immediately sent to Nagara. They held meetings with the UN High Commission for Refugees, which is the UN agency responsible for co-ordinating the relief effort in the area, with Concern, GOAL and other aid agencies. On the basis of these discussions, it was concluded that the upgrading of the airstrip at Nagara is not an immediate priority. The European Union is carrying out improvements to the airstrip and to the access roads but neither the UNHCR nor the other agencies envisage the further upgrading of the airstrip to take heavy cargo aircraft. Emphasis is instead being placed on meeting the needs of the camps at Nagara by road and rail. There is an urgent need to improve the water and sanitation facilities of new camps which are being set up and such heavy equipment as is available is being employed on this work.
The Government have made it clear to the Irish organisations which are assisting the victims of the Rwandan civil war that we are prepared to provide further financial support for suitable projects in addition to the £547,000 already provided. We are discussing with these agencies what the most pressing priorities are and have informed them that we will respond sympathetically to their proposals.