Vol. 516 No. 5
166 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the position in relation to human rights violations in Nigeria; his efforts to bring international pressure to bear on matters there; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8618/00]
In May 1999, President Olusegun Obasanjo was inaugurated as the first democratically elected civilian President of Nigeria following 15 years of military rule. Since coming to power, the new president has taken a number of positive measures to promote respect for human rights, including commissioning a panel of eminent Nigerian citizens to investigate allegations of human rights abuses in the country from 1966 to 1999, and repealing repressive legislation.
The newly elected president and his Government face a number of challenges in restoring the country to full democracy. Recently, the introduction of Islamic Sharia law in certain parts of northern Nigeria, and the efforts by some state authorities to extend it, have exacerbated ethnic and religious tensions there. Serious tensions also remain in the Niger Delta region.
We welcome the initiatives taken by President Obasanjo to date, and with our EU partners and other members of the international community, will continue to work to promote political and economic reforms, and to co-operate with the elected authorities towards strengthening the rule of law, respect for human rights and good governance in the country.
