Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 14 Nov 2001

Vol. 544 No. 1

Written Answers. - Foreign Conflicts.

Jim O'Keeffe

Question:

141 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if progress has been made in securing an end to the conflict in Algeria and for the establishment of independent mechanisms for the investigation of human rights violations there and for bringing those responsible to justice. [28171/01]

Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Cowen)

The Government has expressed its deep concern on a number of occasions at the horrendous loss of life and the human suffering caused by the civil conflict in Algeria.

Efforts on the part of the Algerian authorities and of a number of opposition groups aimed at ending the ten years of civil conflict continue. However, there is continued opposition by some forces in Algeria to any settlement or reconciliation between the Government and its Islamist opponents. The security situation has seriously deteriorated in recent months after an improvement following the implementation of the general amnesty announced by President Bouteflika last year.

Ireland and our partners in the European Union continue to encourage and support efforts to achieve a process of genuine political dialogue in Algeria designed to end the current violence. The EU supports economic and social reforms in Algeria which would respond to the needs of the general population and tackle the underlying poverty, deprivation and sense of exclusion which perpetuate the violence. To this end, the EU is working with Algeria through the framework of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership and the Barcelona Declaration.

In the area of human rights, the EU continues to urge Algeria to implement the commitments it accepted in the Barcelona Declaration for the development of democracy and the rule of law, and to respect and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms. These are priority areas for the EU in the negotiations with Algeria of a draft association agreement under the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. Ireland would like to see an agreement in which closer economic co-operation is linked to the process of political reform in Algeria and respect for human rights.

Ireland attaches particular importance to human rights issues in our bilateral relations with Algeria. We have urged the Algerian authorities to take the necessary steps that will hopefully lead to an ending of the conflict, and to establish independent mechanisms for the investigation of human rights violations and to bring those responsible to justice. We would like Algeria to respond positively to the requests for visits by the UN special human rights rapporteurs on torture and extrajudicial executions.

The Government has noted the constructive action taken by the Algerian authorities in response to the recent critical report and recommendations of an independent inquiry established by President Bouteflika into the causes of the unrest in the Berber region of Kabylie. The Government hopes that there will be further follow-up action to those recommendations. We hope the Algerian authorities will now go on to establish similar, independent mechanisms to investigate allegations of human rights abuses arising from the wider civil conflict in the country.