I propose to take Questions Nos. 4 and 20 together.
I am aware of the warnings of Trócaire and very conscious of the explosive potential of the problems in the Great Lakes region, particularly in Rwanda and Burundi. It is now over a year since Rwanda was engulfed in genocide and a civil war which left up to one million dead. Not surprisingly, the recovery has been slow, fragile and uneven. While the situation in the country has shown some improvement, notably in the revival of the private sector and the reopening of schools, overall conditions remain fragile and tense.
Ireland has repeatedly advocated concerted international assistance for Rwanda and the region as a whole. Repatriation of refugees, national reconciliation and the rebuilding of administrative structures are urgent priorities. We regard the return of refugees and internally displaced persons as an essential element in this recovery.
The closing of the camps within Rwanda was taking place in a comparatively peaceful manner until the massacres at Kibeho on 22 April. The Irish Government strongly condemned the killings at the camp and, with our partners in the European Union, called on the Rwandan authorities to set up an independent investigation into the incident.
An independent international commission of inquiry was subsequently established and it presented its findings on 18 May 1995. The commission concluded that the tragedy did not result from a planned action by Rwandan authorities to kill a certain group of people, nor was it an accident that could not have been prevented. The Government of Rwanda accepted the results of the inquiry and committed itself to continuing with its own inquiry into the conduct of the people involved to ensure that such acts are not repeated and that those responsible are brought to justice. I welcome the report of the commission of inquiry and the subsequent commitment by the Rwandan authorities to implement its conclusions and recommendations.
The commission of inquiry strongly recommended that the international community continues to encourage and assist Rwanda in its efforts to achieve justice, national reconciliation and reconstruction. I am firmly convinced that this is the only way in which a permanent resolution will be found for the Rwandan crisis.
We have raised the need for control on the supply of arms with our EU partners and will continue to do so. The UN Security Council, in Resolution 997 of 9 June, extended the arms embargo on Rwanda imposed last year to "persons in the State neighbouring Rwanda" if such arms are for use within Rwanda. The resolution also refers to the possibility of deploying UN military observers in eastern Zaire and elsewhere to monitor this embargo. I welcome this strengthening of the arms embargo regime.
The Government has always supported a UN presence in Rwanda and I am glad that the UN Security Council has extended the UNAMIR mandate for a further six months. The force is to be reduced to 1,800 troops after four months. Adjustments in the mandate mean that UNAMIR will use its good offices to help achieve national reconciliation, assist the Government in the return of refugees, assist in the training of a national police force and contribute to the security of UN personnel and aid workers in case of need.
On the humanitarian front, as the House will be aware, Ireland has donated more than £4 million in emergency assistance. The Government is also providing rehabilitation assistance in sectors such as health, education and agriculture. To date, the Government has spent £350,000 on rehabilitation projects and is committed to contributing substantial further rehabilitation assistance. An officer of my Department recently visited Rwanda and I am currently considering recommendations for future assistance, including the rehabilitation of the justice system and the prisons.
The European Union, which had temporarily suspended assistance to the Government of Rwanda following the events at Kibeho, decided on 1 June to engage in a political and technical dialogue with the Rwandan Government which will enable the resumption of full assistance from the European Union. This was in accordance with the views of a number of member states, including Ireland, and resulted from a discussion in the Development Council.
I am glad to inform the House that the first plenary session of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda took place yesterday in The Hague. I hope that the tribunal will pursue its work with all possible speed and that those responsible for the genocide will be brought to justice. The United Nations and European Union team of human rights monitors continue to do very good work. I had discussions recently with the co-ordinator of the EU contingent, who is Irish.
It is not possible to look at the problems of Rwanda in isolation from the problems of the region as a whole. The situation in Burundi is very tense and the spillover of refugees into neighbouring countries is adding to the difficulties of their hard pressed economies. This underlines the need for the holding of an international conference on security, stability and peace in the Great Lakes region, as called for by the UN Security Council. The Government firmly supports the convening of this conference and I note that Trócaire has strongly advocated that such a conference take place. We will continue to pursue this proposal with our EU partners and the states of the region.