Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 7 May 1997

Vol. 478 No. 7

Written Answers - Aid to Rwanda.

Michael P. Kitt

Question:

45 Mr. M. Kitt asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the proposals, if any, he has to re-examine Irish aid funding to Rwanda; the reports, if any, he has received and investigated in relation to aid being diverted to fighting a war; if he has protested at the treatment of refugees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12082/97]

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Spring)

The Deputy will be aware that in my reply to Priority Question No. 7 on Wednesday, 30 April 1997, I gave a comprehensive account of the most recent political and humanitarian developments in the Great Lakes region and of Ireland's reaction to the grave situation facing the remaining Rwandan refugees in eastern Zaire, as well as a detailed account of Irish Aid's integrated programme of emergency and rehabilitation spending both within Rwanda and in the Great Lakes region as a whole.

The principles which govern the disbursement of Irish Aid moneys remain absolutely clear: aid should be used to reach those who need it most and should, as far as possible, support the capacity of local people to build peaceful and stable societies. The provision of aid to the Government of Rwanda in 1995 and 1996 should be seen firmly in this context.

Irish aid to the Great Lakes has been as part of the concerted international effort to bring about peace, stability and reconciliation in the region. Our effort has been ongoing for three years. Since 1994, Irish Aid has given almost IR£12.5 million in emergency and rehabilitation aid to the region. Deputies will be aware of the Government's balanced approach in providing this aid from reports to Dáil Éireann as well as from the briefings which have been given to the Joint Committee for Foreign Affairs and the Sub-Committee on Development Co-operation.

Just over IR£2 million of our assistance has been channelled through Government of Rwanda programmes. This money had been specifically targeted to support primary health care, the training of magistrates, the resettlement of refugees and the rehabilitation of genocide survivors, together with support for women's groups.

A further IR£4.8 million has been disbursed, again since 1994, through Irish NGOs operating in Rwanda and through international organistions.Apart from providing shelter to genocide survivors and returning refugees from Zaire and Tanzania, a particular area of activity has been the improvement of prison conditions. Ireland has provided support through the UN system for refugee resettlement and for human rights monitoring by the UN Centre for Human Rights. Assistance has been provided also to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

In the Great Lakes region as a whole, 52 per cent of Irish emergency and rehabilitation aid for 1996 was given through NGOs. It is likely that a similar percentage of aid for the region will be disbursed through NGOs in 1997.

Funding to the Government of Rwanda, in common with all Irish Aid disbursements, has always been subject to systematic monitoring, evaluation and reporting requirements. Officials from the Development Co-operation Division of my Department, including an auditor and a rehabilitation monitoring expert, who last inspected the projects in March 1997 are satisfied that the money provided is being used effectively and correctly. A further three visits to Rwanda to inspect projects funded by Irish Aid and implemented both through the Government of Rwanda and through NGO partners are planned for the coming year. Any allegations that Irish Aid money is being diverted for military purposes are, quite simply, groundless.

The Government remains committed to continuing to support the rebuilding of Rwandan society and to providing aid through the most effective channels.

With regard to the refugees remaining in eastern Zaire, it is a positive development that these refugees have begun to return to the camps at Biaro and Kasese from which they fled last week, thereby permitting their onward repatriation to Rwanda. On the other hand, it is extremely distressing that almost one hundred people were killed as a result of overcrowding on a train transporting refugees from Biaro to Kisangani. In addition, the fact that many of these refugees appear to have been attacked and wounded within the last week is a matter of grave concern. I reiterate the Government's unequivocal condemnation of any murders or other human rights abuses which may have taken place and our commitment to ensuring that the full facts of the events in eastern Zaire are investigated and made public. The Deputy will be aware that a team of UN human rights monitors is being deployed in the Kisangani region in the coming days. Ireland has agreed to provide IR£25,000 in support of this mission, aimed at preventing further human rights abuses.

We have expressed our concerns to the Governments in the region who may have influence on the rebel alliance. In the past two weeks, the EU Troika and Special Envoy Ajello have made demarches to the Governments of Rwanda and Uganda to express the Union's concerns about the humanitarian situation. Mr. Ajello has had meetings with President Museveni of Uganda and Mr. Kabila. We were also in touch with the US State Department about these concerns in advance of Ambassador Richardson's visit to the region.

Following the meeting of the General Affairs Council in Luxembourg on 29 and 30 April where the issue of Zaire was discussed in detail, the Council has calledinter alia for the fulfilment of undertakings given by Mr. Kabila in relation to immediate access for the humanitarian agencies in Zaire as well as for an immediate cessation of hostilities and a peaceful and negotiated settlement. We have also expressed our deep concern at continuing reports of human rights violations and urged the UN to investigate them as quickly as possible.