Vol. 472 No. 7
28 Miss Harney asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps, if any, he proposes to take as President of the Council of Ministers of the European Union to prevent the fragmentation of Zaire arising from the conflicts currently taking place there. [24015/96]
I share the concern underlying the Deputy's question. Zaire's condition has enormous implications for the region and indeed for Africa as a whole. There is deep worry in the region that the current conflict in Zaire could possibly lead to the break-up of the country. At the Nairobi summit of the Heads of State of the region on 5 November, the territorial integrity of Zaire was stressed as a central principle. This is very much the position of the European Union also, as we have made clear in several declarations in recent months. It was a position we also stressed to the Government of Zaire in discussions with them on 10 November by the Troika of Development Ministers, led by my colleague, Deputy Burton, Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs.
As to the steps planned to prevent a further deterioration in the political situation in Zaire, the EU has underlined repeatedly that only dialogue can bring a lasting resolution of the problems of Zaire and indeed of the region. Accordingly, with the active involvement of the EU Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region, Mr. Aldo Ajello, we have been seeking to promote dialogue at all levels. In particular, we have sought to encourage the process involving the Heads of State of the region, with Mr. Julius Nyerere, the former President of Tanzania in the role of facilitator. During his visit to Dublin two weeks ago, I reiterated the Union's full support for his efforts as well as those of the regional leaders. The next meeting of the regional Heads of State to discuss the situation in Zaire is expected to be held in Nairobi next Monday, 16 December. Mr. Ajello will be present in Nairobi on behalf of the European Union. It is hoped that Zaire and Rwanda will be represented at that meeting. The Heads of State will encourage the resolution of the internal problems in Zaire by dialogue. They will also seek to broker a dialogue between Zaire and Rwanda on the difficulties which exist between those two countries arising from the present conflict in eastern Zaire.
The European Union supports the democratic transition process, which has a key role to play in the resolution of Zaire's problems. A central element of that process will be elections which are due to be held in 1997. The Union recently agreed a joint action under which the EU will establish a European Electoral Unit in Kinshasa and provided a contribution of two million ECU to the special fund which has been established by the United Nations to assist Zaire in the holding of the elections. Work on the establishment of the Electoral Unit is proceeding actively at present. I should stress that EU assistance to Zaire in this regard is conditional on commitments which have already been entered into by the Zairean authorities being fulfilled. The Troika of Development Ministers also stressed to the Zairean Government during their recent meeting the importance the Union attached to allowing all Zaireans to participate in the elections.
