Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 20 November 2008
137 Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the financial aid being given to the Governments of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41971/08]
View answer138 Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the action Ireland is taking to help stop the killings of civilians in the Democratic Republic of Congo. [41972/08]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 137 and 138 together.
The continued fighting in the North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is a matter of grave concern, in terms of its implications for both the humanitarian situation and the stability of the wider Great Lakes region. I am particularly distressed by reports of targeted attacks against the civilian population, and by the plight of the estimated one million people now displaced in North Kivu.
The Government fully supports the international efforts currently underway to find a solution to the crisis in eastern DRC. UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, has been heavily engaged in discussions in an effort to stabilise the situation. The appointment of the former Nigerian President, Mr. Olusegun Obasanjo, an experienced mediator in regional disputes, as the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General is a particularly helpful development, and I welcome his visit to DRC over the past weekend. I welcome also the efforts of DRC's neighbours to come together to help solve this problem at the Nairobi Regional Conference on 7 November, and I urge them to persist in their efforts.
MONUC, the UN peacekeeping force, which at 17,000-strong is the UN's largest peacekeeping operation, is mandated to use all means necessary to protect the civilian population. Since 2001, three Irish Defence Forces officers have been deployed with MONUC as Military Liaison Officers. However, MONUC is now seriously overstretched, and UN officials are calling for extra troops and air assets. The UN Security Council is fully seized of the situation and has been discussing appropriate responses as a matter of urgency.
My EU colleagues and I discussed the crisis in DRC at the General Affairs and External Relations Council on 10 November 2008, and were briefed by French Foreign Minister, Bernard Kouchner, on his recent visit to eastern DRC with UK Foreign Secretary, David Miliband. We agreed on Council Conclusions, which urged all parties to respect the ceasefire and the Goma and Nairobi peace agreements. The EU is extremely concerned by the difficulties facing MONUC, but we believe it will be more effective (in terms of alleviating the crisis in the short-term) to strengthen our cooperation with MONUC rather than to initiate steps towards an ESDP military mission. In addition, the EU will, of course, continue to contribute to diplomatic efforts.
The EU already has two ESDP missions in DRC: EUSEC, which provides assistance to the DRC authorities on security sector reform; and EUPOL RD Congo, which provides assistance to the authorities on police reform. Both missions aim to address the underlying causes of the conflict and work towards a durable peace in DRC, which can only be achieved through political progress and the consolidation of the rule of law.
Ireland does not give any financial aid directly to the governments of either DRC or Rwanda. However, Ireland is a significant humanitarian donor to both countries through NGOs and through UN and Red Cross systems. Already in 2008, Ireland has committed over €12 million in humanitarian aid funding to DRC, and our support to the country since 2006 totals over €33 million. In response to this worsening crisis, the Government has promised up to €1 million in extra funding for humanitarian relief in North Kivu. Irish Aid funding to Rwanda since 2006 amounts to more than €8 million. The European Commission has also allocated an additional €6.7 million in emergency aid to eastern DRC.
