Skip to main content
Normal View

Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 27 Jun 1995

Vol. 455 No. 1

Written Answers. - Burundi Crisis.

Ivor Callely

Question:

42 Mr. Callely asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the current situation in Burundi; the number of people killed and injured; the total number of refugees due to the violence there; the progress, if any, which has been made on the joint declaration on 29 March 1995; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11692/95]

The Government continue to be deeply concerned about the outbreaks of violence in Burundi which have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of innocent people in Bujumbura and have led to the displacement of thousands of people both internally and in the neighbouring countries. Estimates of the total number of deaths since the attempted coup of October 1993 and its violent aftermath vary between fifty and one hundred thousand. It is impossible to estimate reliably the number of injuries which have taken place during that time. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees estimates that 740,000 refugees have fled Burundi since October 1993. However, they also confirm that since last March there have been spontaneous returns to Burundi in significant numbers while at the same time smaller numbers have continued to leave the country. Earlier this year the Government allocated a further £750,000 from the Emergency Assistance Fund to meet the emergency needs of refugees from Burundi and Rwanda. This decision brought Government funding for emergency relief operations in Burundi, Rwanda and neighbouring states to a total of IR£4 million.

In their joint declaration of last March the President and Prime Minister of Burundi, who represent the Hutu and Tutsi ethnic groups respectively, committed themselves to the priority objectives of peace, reconciliation and reconstruction for implementation over a three-year period. The institutional framework for this process is enshrined in the Convention of Government which was agreed by the parties in Burundi on 10 September 1994.
Ireland, the EU, the UN and others in the international community wish to see the Convention fully implemented and consider it the optimum internal solution based on consensus. The EU confirmed its strong backing for the process of the Convention in its declaration at Carcassonne on 19 March and committed itself to assisting the Burundi Government in organising a national debate to consolidate national reconciliation and reconstruct democracy in the subsequent EU Common Position of 24 March.
On 20 April the Heads of State and Government of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) extended the mandate of the OAU Observer Mission in Burundi until next September and increased its military component from 47 to 67 officers. This followed the visit of an OAU ministerial delegation to Burundi on 12 April. In keeping with the undertaking given in its Common Position of 24 March, the EU has recently approved a contribution of 1.5 million ECU to the OAU in support of its operation in Burundi.
In response to the recent spate of violence involving extremist militias in Bujumbura and pursuant to the objectives of its Declaration and Common Position, the EU made a demarche to the Prime Minister of Burundi on 23 May. It stressed that the current crisis could be seen as a test of the Government's determination to restore law and order in the capital and to deal effectively with extremists. The EU confirmed its readiness to implement projects to occupy the youth in Bujumbura, who are manipulated by extremists, to destabilise the situation. In welcoming the EU position the Prime Minister expressed his determination to combat the militants on both sides of the conflict.
It is reported that the President of Burundi held a meeting on 12 June with the political parties participating in the Convention of Government, the Prime Minister and the special representatives of the UN and the OAU. The participants reportedly reiterated their support for the peace process of the Convention and considered that despite the incidents of violence the situation remained controllable. They are reported to have called for a resolute and unerring commitment from all the political, moral and soci-economic partners and to have undertaken to report to the National Security Council on concrete measures to address the security situation and restore peace. On 18 June, following consultation with the National Security Council, the President of Burundi announced a number of measures to combat extremists and others seeking to exploit ethnic divisions.
Ireland, with its EU partners, strongly supports the efforts of the UN Special Representative to Burundi, Mr. Abdallah, to resolve the crisis in Burundi and strongly favours the proposal by the UN Security Council in its statement of 29 March to hold a regional conference on peace, stability and security in Burundi, Rwanda and neighbouring states.
We actively support the implementation of the EU Common Position and Declarations on Burundi which provideinter alia for the restoration of law and order and the strengthening of the judicial system; the implementation of the International Plan of Action for Refugees in the Great Lakes Region adopted in Bujumbura last February; the sending of Human Rights Experts to Burundi in conjunction with the UNHCR; the convening of a round table of donors for Burundi and the establishment of an International Commission of Inquiry into the attempted coup of October 1993 and its violent aftermath as a prerequisite for national reconciliation. We also support the EU Declaration on Burundi which was issued on 23 June. This latest declaration condemns acts of violence on all sides and confirms the EU's resolute support for the peace efforts of the Burundi Government in these and other key areas.
The Government will continue to do all that it can, both directly and in conjunction with the EU and the international agencies, to bring an end to extremist violence and to engage the political parties of Burundi in the peace process enshrined in the Convention of Government.
Top
Share