Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 16 January 2013
9. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps he and his EU counterparts have taken to address escalating ethnic tensions in Mali; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1585/13]
View answerThe Government and the European Union share the widespread international concern about the situation in Mali. The UN Security Council has adopted three resolutions on the situation since July 2012. During the past week there has been a serious escalation in the conflict as militants based in the north pushed southwards towards Mali’s capital, Bamako. On 10 January the UN Security Council stated the deterioration in the situation threatened the stability and integrity of Mali "and constitutes a direct threat to international peace and security". The Malian army, with support from France, has launched a counter-offensive to repel the advance.
Following a meeting of the UN Security Council on 14 January, the Secretary General welcomed the response by bilateral partners to the call for assistance by the Government of Mali. EU Ministers will review the situation at an extraordinary meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels tomorrow. The situation in Mali is very complex and volatile. I welcome the decision taken to accelerate the deployment of African regional forces to assist the Malian authorities. This effort is being led by the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS. The European Union will support the African-led mission. Urgent planning is under way for the establishment of an EU training mission which will be considered at tomorrow’s meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council.
The Government fully understands the action taken by France and others in support of the Malian authorities. There is strong agreement that military action alone will not secure lasting peace and stability. EU Foreign Ministers have consistently pressed the Malian parties to adopt and implement a roadmap for a transition to democratic elections. When this is in place, the European Union will be in a position to resume bilateral development co-operation and economic engagement with Mali. It is also essential to have an inclusive process of reconciliation and peace building in Mali that respects the territorial integrity of the country and addresses ethnic divisions.
We are seriously concerned about the impact of this crisis on the civilian population. During the past year Ireland has provided over €9 million in emergency assistance for the Sahel region, including €1.35 million for Mali and Malian refugees in neighbouring countries.
It is welcome that this matter will again be discussed at tomorrow's meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council. Last week I was contacted by a constituent who indicated a particular personal knowledge of the region and outlined their disappointment at the fact that the difficulties in Mali did not appear to have been given the international attention they merited. The person to whom I refer spoke to me in the context of media commentary on the issues involved. I am not sufficiently competent to state whether my constituent's comments in this regard are appropriate. Peaceful elections have taken place in Mali for the past two decades and the area in question was perceived as one in which democracy had been working well. The difficulties to which I refer, which began to emerge last March, are extremely disappointing. Is Ireland continuing to provide aid for the affected area of Mali? May I assume, on foot of the Tánaiste's comments, that the European Union has ceased to provide assistance or is my interpretation of what he said in this regard incorrect?
As stated, the situation in Mali will be discussed at the special meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council tomorrow.
Unfortunately, as I am attending the meeting in Belfast I will not be able to be in Brussels but the Minister of State, Deputy Creighton, will represent me at tomorrow's meeting of foreign ministers. There will be a full discussion on the action that has been taken. We will have an opportunity to hear from our French colleagues about what they have been doing in co-operation with others. There will be a discussion about putting together a European Union training mission. As far as aid is concerned, we have been contributing to the situation in Mali and we remain committed to doing so. Over the past year we have provided €9 million in emergency assistance to the region and €1.35 million specifically for Mali.
I remind Deputy Smith that other Deputies are waiting to contribute. I ask him to co-operate and to be brief.
I thank the Tánaiste for his reply. Are the difficulties in Mali the reason for the extraordinary meeting of the Foreign Affairs Ministers tomorrow? Is it the main topic for consideration or are other issues to be considered?
I ask the Tánaiste to instruct the Minister of State, Deputy Creighton, to highlight the history of interventions in this area which are liable to be problematic and disastrous in the long term. President Hollande has said this intervention will last for a matter of weeks only. It only takes a few hours to decide to go in but it will take a lot longer to get out of it. This will become a very complex affair. It smacks of French colonialism. France is very dependent on uranium from the area as its nuclear energy is built on the back of cheap uranium supplies from Niger and northern Mali. The French obviously have other interests aside from the problems with the tribes. I suggest that the Africans should be encouraged to deal with their problems but the French should be told to keep their noses well out of the place because I do not think they will help matters.
The Tánaiste says he understands the action by the French authorities. Will he accept the point that part of that motivation is clearly governed by economic interests and the very substantial importance of uranium for the French, given the importance of nuclear energy for France? Will he also consider that the instability in that region is linked to the overthrow of Gadaffi and the intervention in Libya whereby displaced tribes have gone back to that region and are demanding separatist rights for their states in that area? The lesson of the story is that interventions by other authorities into countries like this can have a substantially destabilising effect which brings with it significant civilian casualties. This is beginning with up to ten or 12 civilians killed since the French intervention but tens of thousands of people have already been displaced. What action will be taken in this regard?
As a previous speaker said, lines were drawn on maps that did not really take into account the people in those regions. The Tuareg are moving into that region. One of the worrying comments is the suggestion that the French intervention was carried out under UN guidelines. Will the UN support this intervention? I have listened carefully to the Tánaiste's response that intervention by other African nations is welcome. However, the French intervention could be seen as a colonial action.
Many of these al-Qaeda-related organisations want to engage the West; they want to engage in conflict with the Crusaders. This is the language they are using. The Malian Government came to power as a result of a coup. I do not know enough about the region but I am concerned about the possibility that other countries and people could be dragged into this conflict.
The situation in Mali is very serious. I agree it is the case that there is a spillover from one country to another. The French intervention and the intervention of the African Union and ECOWAS is all being done to support the Malian authorities. There is a very serious danger of terrorism in that area. Recent meetings of the European Union Foreign Affairs Council have adopted conclusions reaffirming the EU commitment to continue to play a constructive role in the support of stabilisation efforts. The European Union is working through political pressure, development and economic assistance and in support for regional military intervention and a common security and defence policy mission focused on training of the Malian armed forces, EUTM Mali. The meeting tomorrow is specifically called on the situation in Mali. A draft Council decision is expected to be discussed at tomorrow's meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council. This will establish a European Union training mission. The French authorities have already identified an officer to be the mission commander. A deployment of 240 individuals to the mission is envisaged. This does not include force protection personnel. The main function will be the training of units of the Malian armed forces.
The question of a possible Irish contribution of trainers to an EU mission in Mali is under consideration by the Minister for Defence. A decision has not yet been taken. A major consideration for Ireland will be the question of force protection. I emphasise that the Defence Forces are already making a major contribution to international peacekeeping and security through their involvement in Lebanon and smaller contributions to a range of operations including the training mission which is focused on Somalia and is based in Uganda. I visited that mission in July when I was in Uganda.
