Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 30 Jan 2001

Vol. 529 No. 1

Written Answers. - Foreign Conflicts.

Brian O'Shea

Question:

101 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the views of the Government on the involvement of other EU members in the illicit trade of arms and diamonds in Sierra Leone in particular; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2230/01]

Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Cowen)

The Government remains deeply concerned about the conflict in Sierra Leone and the enormous humanitarian impact it is having on the people of the region. Although a ceasefire signed in November appears to be holding in Sierra Leone itself, recent attacks by the rebel Revolutionary United Front – RUF – on refugee camps in southern Guinea are a source of particular concern as they threaten to engulf the entire sub-region in the conflict.

The Government is also concerned that revenues from the illicit trade in diamonds and arms are helping to prolong and exacerbate the conflict in Sierra Leone. The United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution last July expressing concern at the role played by the illicit trade in diamonds and arms in fuelling the conflict in Sierra Leone, and at reports that diamonds and arms transit neighbouring countries in contravention of existing Security Council resolutions. It requested the Secretary General to establish a panel of experts to investigate the link between trade in diamonds and trade in arms and related material. The panel of experts presented its report in December and it provides conclusive evidence that most illicit diamonds leave Sierra Leone through Liberia. The report contends that such trade cannot be conducted without involvement by Liberian Government officials at the highest level. The report also provides evidence that Liberia has been actively supporting the Revolutionary United Front at all levels. On the basis of the report's findings, the Security Council is debating the possible imposition of sanctions on the Government of Liberia.

The report also contends that a number of other states in the region have been involved in the illicit trade in Sierra Leone diamonds and in supplying weapons to the Revolutionary United Front. However, the report makes no allegations against any EU member state.

The report recommends that a global certification scheme for diamonds be introduced as soon as possible. Ireland supports the introduction of such a scheme which will make it more difficult for illicit diamonds to enter the legal trade. Ireland also supports the panel's recommendation that the major trading centres for diamonds, some of which are located inside the EU, should come to an agreement on a consistent method of recording the country of origin and of provenance of rough diamond imports to prevent conflict diamonds from being traded in their countries.

Question No. 102 answered with Question No. 95.