Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 28 May 2003

Vol. 567 No. 6

Written Answers. - Foreign Conflicts.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Question:

160 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the fact that more than three million people have perished since 1998 in the tragic war ravaging the Democratic Republic of the Congo; the steps, in that context, which the Government proposes to take in order to stem the escalating violence in the region, particularly in the Ituri region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14925/03]

Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Cowen)

I can assure the Deputy that I have, for some considerable time, been following closely developments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Government is deeply concerned about the situation there: the loss of life on a scale almost too awful to comprehend; the human rights and humanitarian situation, particularly in the troubled province of Ituri, but also in other parts of the east including North and South Kivu. Appalling atrocities have been carried out as premeditated weapons of war. There has often been a strong ethnic component to the atrocities. Very often, the scramble for control of the natural resources of the region has driven the violence, chaos and murder.

Throughout our membership of the Security Council, Ireland worked hard to ensure that the council should maintain a focus on human rights and humanitarian issues in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We consistently called on the parties to refrain from human rights violations and to respect the provisions of international humanitarian law.

The European Union hasdémarched the Governments of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Uganda about the situation in Ituri, expressing grave concern about the continuing violation of human rights and calling on the countries concerned to use their influence to reduce tensions in the region.

The United Nations department of peacekeeping operations has been in contact with a number of states requesting them to participate in a possible interim multinational force to be deployed, under French leadership, to stabilise the situation in Ituri. Discussions are continuing in New York among Security Council members with a view to the authorisation of such a force by the council. Current indications suggest that, while it is likely that such a force would have a UN mandate, with express authority to act under chapter VII of the UN charter, it may not be a UN force per se. Its deployment would allow time for the strengthening of the existing UN force, MONUC, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is due to be expanded this summer. Following contact between UN Secretary General Annan and President Chirac, a French military team is already on the ground conducting a risk assessment, in preparation for a possible deployment of such a multinational force.

The urgency of the crisis in Ituri was raised last week at the meeting of the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council. Along with my European counterparts, we discussed what support the European Union could give to the international efforts under way to help alleviate the situation. The possibility of the EU taking responsibility for the multinational force is under consideration. Let me assure the Deputy that we will continue to act, within the EU framework and at the United Nations, to seek to bring an end to these desperate acts and restore peace and normality to this war ravaged country.