Vol. 472 No. 7
57 Mr. M. McDowell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs whether any persons indicted for war crimes have been arrested in the past two months in Bosnia or in neighbouring countries and brought before the war crimes tribunal at the Hague; and the steps, if any, the European Union is taking to have such persons arrested and prosecuted. [24016/96]
67 Mr. Callely asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the efficiency of the United Nations protection force; the recent occurrences, if any, where the United Nations protection force has been seen to be of no great benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24037/96]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 57 and 67 together. According to information I have received from the International Criminal Tribunal, there have been no new arrests of indicted suspects during the past two months. Of a total of 74 indicted persons, only seven have so far been arrested or handed over to the tribunal. This is a very disappointing statistic and the Government is determined that more pressure should be brought to bear on those who have obligations to ensure that those charged with war crimes should appear in the Hague. The Government continues to hold the view that full co-operation by all parties with the International Criminal Tribunal in the efforts to bring war criminals to justice is a fundamental obligation which must be honoured if genuine stability and lasting peace is to be consolidated. All parties must abide by the commitment they have made to hand over indicted suspects without delay. It is also important that the international organisations and agencies active on the ground should examine now they can make a more effective contribution to the efforts of the tribunal in this regard.
We also support the policy that the provision of economic reconstruction assistance is clearly linked to co-operation in this area. The authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the Republika Srpska leadership, have been reminded that their obligations under international law take precedence over any provisions in their national or local legislation. Similarly, in the case of Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the EU has made clear that the development of relations between the EU and those countries will be influenced by their attitude towards co-operation with the tribunal. The Government will continue to be a strong and unequivocal supporter of the International Criminal Tribunal and the effort to bring war criminals to justice. This support is not only demonstrated in political and diplomatic terms but also in practical ways. In this regard, in addition to previous voluntary contributions, and to payment of our annual assessed UN contribution for the running costs of the tribunal, the Government has, in the last few weeks, contributed a further $100,000 to assist the work of the tribunal.
