I will take this item in the absence of my Government colleagues who are on official business.
This is a very timely debate, one which I welcome. The situation in Algeria, as revealed in numerous media reports for several months, has filled all of us with a deep sense of horror. The massacre of innocent civilians, particularly of women and children, has evoked a strong sense of outrage among the Irish people. The Minister for Foreign Affairs and his Department have received a very large number of expressions of concern from the public and the Government fully shares this sense of outrage.
The current horrific situation in Algeria has its genesis in the cancellation by the then president of the second round of the general election in January 1992 when it seemed that Islamic fundamentalists were set to win. Since then a vicious conflict has been fought, resulting in an estimated 80,000 deaths.
This appalling situation has attracted world-wide concern. With our partners in the European Union we have been monitoring it very closely. Following the Council of Ministers' meeting on 12 September, the Presidency of the Union issued a statement on Algeria expressing the deep shock of the EU at the wave of killings and other atrocities which have plunged Algeria into bloodshed and reaffirmed its outright condemnation of all acts of terrorism and indiscriminate violence. It reiterated its encouragement for the political and economic reform process in Algeria. It was agreed at the informal meeting of Foreign Ministers in Mondorf in late October that the Presidency should meet the Algerian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ataf, and this meeting took place last week in Luxembourg.
At that meeting the Presidency conveyed, on behalf of the EU, our profound concern at reports on Algeria, our solidarity with the people of Algeria and our condemnation of terror and extreme violence. We will continue to encourage a process of national reconciliation with democratic parties who renounce violence and confirm the European Union's intention to continue to support the process of reform, notably through the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. The Presidency also stressed the vital importance of fundamental freedoms and human rights and indicated the EU's readiness to facilitate a political solution.
The Government's position was set out in the reply given by my colleague, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, to a parliamentary question in the Dáil on 4 November. In this he indicated that he was deeply shocked at the reports of massacres, that he could not accept the Algerian assertion that what was happening was an internal affair and that, together with his EU colleagues, he was at the disposal of the protagonists should the EU be requested to help facilitate a political solution.
Last week the Minister for Foreign Affairs, together with the Minister of State at the Department, met the Algerian Ambassador to Ireland to discuss recent events in Algeria. My colleagues outlined the profound repulsion felt at the largescale killings of so many innocent Algerians, including women and children. My colleagues made it clear that our interest in Algeria and our desire to assist should not be seen as interference. They explained the importance we attach to an approach made in a spirit of co-operation, by holding out the hand of friendship to an emerging democracy which has difficulties in dealing with killings on this scale and in coping with a very serious security problem within their territory. However, my colleagues indicated that, as a country with a strong track record in seeking to protect human rights, Ireland would be understanding but firm in handling these issues.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs made it clear he was keen to explore ways in which Ireland, either bilaterally or through the EU, could help relieve the problem in Algeria. He also asked the Ambassador to convey to the Algerian Foreign Minister his interest in meeting him in Algeria in the not too distant future, explaining that our foreign policy was deeply posited on the need to address human rights issues.
Nobody should be under any illusion that the situation in Algeria is susceptible to a quick fix. It is a complex and highly dangerous amalgam of tensions and strife, based not only on an ideological struggle but fed also by economic and social alienation. This has resulted in a catastrophic cycle of violence, repression and destruction. Outside involvement, if wisely handled, can help bring this cycle to an end, but it can also, if mishandled, prove counterproductive and risk leading to increased isolation and further suffering by the Algerian people. Our efforts must, therefore, be directed to ensuring that the outcome is one which meets the objectives of respect for human rights and support for democracy which I have outlined. The Government is committed to continuing its efforts in that regard and to this end my colleague, Deputy Andrews, is hoping to see the situation at first hand in Algeria in the near future.
