asked the Minister for External Affairs if he intends to bring the Nigerian-Biafran conflict before the United Nations in an endeavour to get an immediate ceasefire and peace negotiation commenced.
21.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Nigerian-Biafran Conflict.
20.
asked the Minister for External Affairs what steps he has taken to resolve the hostilities between the Nigerians and the Biafrans.
22.
asked the Minister for External Affairs if he has seen reports that institutions manned by Irish missionary and lay personnel have been bombed and shelled in Biafra by the Federal forces; if so, what these institutions are; and what steps he has taken to protect Irish lives and property in Biafra.
23.
asked the Minister for External Affairs if his attention has been drawn to reports of indiscriminate bombing of the civilian population in Biafra by the Nigerian forces; and what steps he has taken in the matter.
24.
asked the Minister for External Affairs if his attention has been drawn to reports of military action, including bombing from the air, by Federal Nigerian forces affecting hospitals and schools in Biafra owned or manned by Irish citizens; and, if so, what action is being taken by him to prevent a recurrence of this situation.
25.
asked the Minister for External Affairs if he will make a full statement on his recent meeting with Chief Enahoro.
: With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose taking Questions Nos. 20 to 25 together.
As Deputies are aware the Government have been deeply concerned at events in Nigeria since the first coup d'état in January, 1966 and it has been their policy at all times to urge the peaceful settlement of the matters in dispute and avoidance of recourse to bloodshed. This position is well known and was known to the leaders of Nigeria even before the civil war began.
Since the outbreak of hostilities the Government have kept constantly in touch with developments in Nigeria. In the interests of all the people of Nigeria, we have taken all action within the competence of a small country to promote a ceasefire and negotiations for a just and lasting peace. Since the Dáil recessed last July the secessionist forces have been falling back upon an ever-diminishing area with a corresponding increase in the suffering of the civilian population both in the besieged area and in the zone of conflict.
In our recent contacts we have urged both sides to conclude an agreed settlement which would end the conmenced flict, bring succour to those afflicted by famine and disease and open the way to co-operation in the development of Nigeria for the benefit of all its people.
I have on numerous occasions, both directly and through our Embassy in Lagos, urged the Nigerian Government to refrain from bombing non-military buildings or areas, including, in particular, hospitals and civilian concentrations. The Nigerian Government have given repeated assurances that strict instructions have been issued to the Nigerian Air Force to avoid all such non-military installations and civilian concentrations.
I made a very full statement about my meeting with Chief Enahoro which was published in the press on the 11th instant. A copy of that statement has been placed in the Dáil Library.
While it would be impossible to give an accurate list of civilian concentrations which have suffered air attack all allegations made in recent months concerning air attacks involving Irish missionaries have been taken up with the Nigerian Government. An urgent démarche was made by our Ambassador to the Nigerian Government in regard to the reports last month that hospitals in Ihiala and other nearby areas had suffered air attack. The Ambassador was assured that while the authorities in Lagos had no information regarding the report and while the possibility of mistakes being made always existed in aerial warfare, no change had been made in the instructions given to the Nigerian Air Force.
Regarding the steps taken by the Government to protect Irish citizens, I would refer the Deputy to the press release issued by my Department on 11th October, 1968, copies of which have been placed in the Dáil Library.
Concerning possible action by the United Nations, the Nigerian situation has been, as Deputies are aware from previous statements in the Dáil, a source of grave concern to the member States, but it has never been raised formally in the General Assembly because of the objections of the Federal Government. Those objections, supported by the majority of the African States members of the Organisation of African Unity, are based on Article 2, para, 7 of the United Nations Charter which prohibits the General Assembly from intervening in matters which are within the domestic jurisdiction of any State.
In regard, however, to the grave humanitarian needs resulting from the hostilities, the Secretary-General has been actively concerned with the consent of the Federal Government in providing all possible assistance through the United Nations agencies concerned with relief and development. In addition, in response to a request from the Nigerian Government, the Secretary General has appointed a Special Representative to Nigeria on Humanitarian Activities whose task is to see for himself the situation in the affected areas, to make an assessment of the relief needs and to recommend ways and means for expediting the distribution of relief supplies. The first interim report by the Special Representative was published on the 9th October, copies of which have been placed in the Dáil Library.
In concluding this reply, I am sure I speak for all the people of Ireland in expressing deep admiration for our Irish missionaries who in their traditional spirit of self-sacrifice and with such magnificent courage endeavoured to relieve the widespread famine and disease which afflicted the peoples among whom they had lived and for whose benefit they had staffed so many schools and hospitals over the last 100 years.
I should also like to pay tribute to the generosity of the Irish people who contributed to the Red Cross and other funds for the relief of the victims of war and famine. I trust that even after peace has been restored, our people will continue to subscribe generously to the work of reconstruction and social development which will be so necessary to help and encourage all the people of Nigeria to co-operate and work together in harmony for their common welfare.
: Could the Minister state, if this matter is brought up at the United Nations, as it appears likely to be by another country, because apparently the Irish Government are not prepared to do so, what attitude the Irish Government will take?
: That is a hypothetical question.
: Give a hypothetical answer.
: There has been no motion proposed at the United Nations to deal with this matter.
: Is it not a known fact that at the moment there is a Canadian parliamentary delegagation in Biafra and is it not also a known fact that it is proposed that an American nation, a European nation and two African nations are likely to bring this matter up? Surely Dáil Éireann is entitled to an intelligent reply from the Minister about what attitude this Government intend to take, if they are afraid to raise the matter themselves?
: No draft resolution has been proposed by any of the countries mentioned. When a draft is proposed and accepted on the agenda and we see the terms, then we will state what attitude——
(Interruptions.)
(Cavan): The Minister is stalling.
: Has the Minister considered, in view of the widespread concern in this country in regard to the position of many Irish missionaries both lay and religious, initiating a movement at the United Nations at which the question could be considered purely from a humanitarian point of view, leaving aside any of the political or military aspects?
: We have done everything we can as a small country to relieve the distress in Nigeria, to assist our missionaries and our civilians who are working in Nigeria.
: Is it not a fact that we have never formally raised this question at the United Nations?
: That is right.
: Would the Minister not consider that this is a far more urgent question than taking the initiative on matters such as the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons and a matter that vitally affects Irish people in Nigeria and Africa?
: I think if there are any countries in the world who should be sensitive to all the happenings in any part of Africa it is the Organisation of African Unity——
: They have failed.
: ——and by 33 votes to 3 they decided, instead of raising the matter at the United Nations, to call on both sides to make peace based on Nigerian unity.
: Does the Minister not think that if the Opposition have any considered views on this matter the proper way to raise them would be by way of a motion proposed before the Dáil?
A Deputy
: Or by a referendum.
(Interruptions.)
: Deputy MacEntee knows how long it would take before such a motion would come before the House.
: Did I gather that the Minister was replying to both Question No. 20 and Question No. 25?
: Questions 20 to 25.
: I have covered the lot, from 20 to 25.
: May I then ask the Minister if any steps have been taken in regard to the statements made here by Chief Enahoro in which he obviously told an untruth in regard to what he alleged was a statement by the Minister to him in which, by implication, he put in jeopardy the lives of five Holy Ghost Fathers? What steps have the Government taken to protest to the Nigerian Government with regard to the untruth which this man as a visitor here indulged in?
: I think the Deputy has not read the statement——
: I have.
: ——which I issued to the press——
: I am asking what steps have been taken.
:——on the 10th October. In that statement I said we had communicated with Chief Enahoro in regard to the allegations he was alleged to have made, that I had confirmed that the Holy Ghost Fathers had been involved in gun-running, and he denied having said that.
: But he told a lie.
: I do not believe he told a lie. We had——
: There were four witnesses including a priest.
: But there was a very confused private conversation after the public press conference and there are many versions of what went on at that and some of the versions, one of them in particular, published——
: The Minister is confused.
: Whose side is the Minister on?
: This is a very serious matter. Please keep quiet. Some of the reports of the private conversations that were published do not bear out the allegation that I had confirmed in conversations with Chief Enahoro that the Holy Ghost Fathers were engaged in gun-running. I want to say again that no question of gun-running by the Holy Ghost Fathers was raised with me by Chief Enahoro.
: Of course it was not and no one who appreciates the views of all the political Parties here and of all their members with regard to our missionaries would ever give any credibility to a suggestion of a man of that kind; but what I am concerned about is that in the presence of two reporters from the evening newspapers, a doctor and a priest, a member of the Holy Ghost Fathers, he stated this lie and their reports are all at one in that—that he confirmed there was a black list containing the names of five Holy Ghost Fathers. That was more or less endorsed by the Minister. Of course that was not so. That was a lie and I want to know what steps this Government have taken to deal with that liar?
: I issued a statement setting out exactly what was discussed between Chief Enahoro and myself and I pointed out that this question of gun-running by the Holy Ghost Fathers had not arisen in any shape or form.
: Of course, but what protest was made?
(Interruptions.)
: Can the Minister say is the missionary order in question absolutely satisfied at this stage with the Minister's full statement? Has the order been in touch with the Minister subsequent to his statement and is he satisfied that the order is satisfied his statement covers the statement——
: I will not answer for anybody other than myself.
: Deputy Michael O'Leary asked the Minister had they been in touch. That is all.
: Since the statement implicated members of a certain order is that order satisfied with the Minister's statement?
: I take it they are.
: The Minister himself is satisfied. Are they?
: I take it they are.
: Has the Minister made representations to the Nigerian Government refuting the statement made on their behalf by Chief Enahoro?
: We issued a public statement and sent it to the Nigerian Government. We gave it to the Nigerian Ambassador and we delivered it in Lagos. As a result of our communication with Chief Enahoro we got from him a denial that he had alleged that I had confirmed that four Holy Ghost Fathers had been implicated in gun-running.
: I am calling Question No. 26, the Minister for Transport and Power.
(Interruptions.)
: One at a time.
: Was there any formal protest made to the Nigerian Government?
(Cavan): He sidestepped that. He is not going to answer.
: What emerges is whether Chief Enahoro told lies. He did.
(Interruptions.)
: The Deputy will get his answer if he waits. I cannot answer while several people are talking.
: Is it not correct that Chief Enahoro stated that the Nigerian Government had a list of five Holy Ghost Fathers whom they suspected of gun-running? Is there not a danger that any day—it does not matter what the names are—five bodies may be found? Surely in those circumstances, there should be a strong protest fromally made to the Nigerian Government in order to ensure the safety of our missionaries in Biafra.
: First of all, Chief Enahoro did not say that to me
: Oh, no. I agree. I accept that.
: He did not say it at the public press conference.
: He did.
: He did not say it at the public press conference and I question whether he said the words alleged by the Opposition in the private conversations. I have no means of confirming it other than from Chief Enahoro himself and he has denied that he said it.
: Father Kilbride and Dr. Byrne, the Evening Press and the Evening Herald reporters heard him say it.
: This was a private conversation and the Press got it from a third party.
: They heard him say it.
: They got it at second or third hand.