Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 11 Dec 1997

Vol. 485 No. 1

Written Answers. - Human Rights Abuses.

Jim O'Keeffe

Question:

36 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on whether there is continuing evidence of massive human rights violations in Rwanda involving Government and army personnel in many instances; and the steps, if any, being taken to condemn these practices and to bring pressure to end them. [22354/97]

Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Andrews)

I refer the Deputy to my reply of 9 December to his Question No. 128 on Rwanda.

The Government is deeply concerned at the persistent reports of violence particularly in north-west Rwanda over the past months and the effect of this on the stability of the country. The return of massive numbers of refugees to Rwanda in 1996 and 1997, among whom were many militants on the Hutu side, has been accompanied by a vicious circle of terrorist attacks and countermeasures by the Rwandan armed forces in that area. There have been numerous civilian deaths on both sides. As recently as last Sunday, 7 December the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mrs. Robinson, stated, at the end of her visit to Kigali, that the scale of violence by Hutu extremists, resulting in large numbers of killings in certain prefectures, was increasing dramatically. Further arbitrary killings linked to the Rwandan Patriotic Army had risen substantially in recent months.

Violence is also reported as occurring in north-west Rwanda and also in neighbouring parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, where, reportedly, Rwanda Government forces are fighting what has been described as a loose coalition of the losers of the civil wars in these countries.

While it is not possible to confirm the extent of the violence in north-west Rwanda, the Government strongly wishes that the Rwandan authorities will again pursue, as an urgent priority, a policy of reconciliation between the Tutsi and the Hutu sides, so that stability may be restored in the country. The Rwandan authorities must act to prevent any further deterioration of the political and security situation and continue with their work of re-establishing in such areas the system of justice and administration, and the reintegrating of the more than 1.2 million refugees who have returned from the Democratic Republic of Congo. In view of the very difficult situation in north-west Rwanda and of the concern of the European Union, the EU Special Envoy, Mr. Adjello, is to visit Kigali soon and explore with the Rwandan authorities how to deepen the dialogue between the EU and Rwanda. As I indicated in my earlier reply, EU Heads of Mission in Kigali have been asked for their assessment of security in north-west Rwanda and at the borders with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.