Vol. 435 No. 11
4 Mr. Connor asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Ireland's foreign policy position in relation to the civil war in Angola; and the initiatives, if any, he has taken to assist the victims of what is considered to be the worst ever tragedy on the African continent.
18 Miss Flaherty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the level of EC response to the UN appeal for resources for humanitarian aid in Angola; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
20 Ms McManus asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the total Government aid allocated in the current year for Angola; if, in view of the very serious problems of hunger and deprivation there, he will give the plans, if any, he has, to increase aid and especially, in view of the urgency of the situation, to allocate emergency aid; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
54 Mr. Connor asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on Ireland's foreign policy position in relation to the continuing tragedy of civil war in Angola; and the aid initiatives, if any, he has made or plans to make towards the relief of distress in this country.
55 Mrs. Owen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the aid and assistance he has made available for the victims of the horrific civil war in Angola; and the efforts, if any, he is making at EC level to ensure that proper humanitarian aid will be made available in Angola.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 4, 18, 20, 54 and 55 together.
The situation in Angola has been and remains one of great concern to the Government. It is clear that a grave humanitarian crisis is unfolding in that country. Following a meeting last month with the aid agencies which are seeking to bring help to Angola, the Government decided to allocate £250,000 from the emergency humanitarian assistance fund for assistance to Angola. The funds are being channelled through CONCERN, Trócaire and GOAL for their respective emergency operations in Angola. Earlier in the year, the Government gave £50,000 to Trócaire for a health programme for refugees and displaced people in Luanda. So far this year, the European Community has allocated 33 million US dollars for emergency assistance to Angola.
On the political front Ireland, together with our EC partners, has supported the actions and initiatives of the international community to bring the fighting to an end. The Twelve have directly appealed to both sides to the conflict to adhere to and respect the 1991 Peace Accords. Repeated attempts have been made by an UN Secretary-General's special representative and by Portugal, the United States and Russia to bring the two parties together and to put an end to the civil war. Following the declaration of a ceasefire by UNITA in September, talks under the auspices of the United Nations were convened in Lusaka on 25 October between the Government of Angola and UNITA. These talks were postponed after one week, but have resumed this week.
Ireland and its partners believe that it is important to maintain pressure on UNITA and, at the same time, encourage the government of Angola to build on the momentum of the talks in Lusaka, so that an effective ceasefire may be agreed and a peace process put into effect. In the face of UNITA's refusal to come to the negotiating table, the United Nations imposed mandatory sanctions on the delivery of arms and oil to UNITA. Along with our EC partners, Ireland has taken the necessary measures to implement these sanctions. The Security Council has indicated a willingness to consider further measures against UNITA, should they continue to refuse to participate in the peace process.
The Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Tom Kitt, has written to the Belgian Presidency to express Ireland's concern at the crisis in Angola and has asked that the issue be placed on the agenda of the Development Council which will take place on 2 December.
I took the opportunity during my visit to Washington this week to discuss the crisis in Angola with the US authorities. We agreed that the situation in Angola was a priority issue for the international community.
I thank the Minister for his reply. Is he aware that concern has been expressed in UN circles that the EC has subscribed inadequately to the appeal for humanitarian aid for Angola? In his reply the Tánaiste said that certain sanctions have been implemented. Can he expand on that? There is a question of whether the ceasefire is genuine: 1,000 people are being allowed die each week. Will the Minister clarify what is meant by this new understanding of a ceasefire?
The Deputy raised the matter of UN concern about the EC contribution. The European Community has not contributed to the UN humanitarian appeal but has given a substantial contribution in emergency relief, a total of £33 million this year. I am aware that there has been some criticism of the EC's development programme in Angola but this is a separate matter from relief aid.
The Deputy's understanding of the ceasefire is as good as everybody else's. Obviously when a ceasefire is declared one hopes that the declarants would adhere to the conditions. I had discussions with the US administration who were obviously in a position to give me more detail than I already had. The incidence of murder, loss of life and limb, in Angola is on a horrific scale. I have been informed that the loss of limbs has been higher in Angola than in any other conflict over the past number of years. Angola is very high on the international agenda but ultimately it is a question of the parties on the ground, particularly UNITA, coming to the table to see if it can resolve its differences.
Would the Minister agree that the resurgence of civil war in Angola had a great deal to do with the weakness of the UN mandate after the 1992 general elections and will he outline the initiatives we have taken at UN level for a strengthened UN mandate in Angola? If the peace process gets under way in Lusaka — which I understand is at a crucial stage on this very day — given that both parties to the conflict came to a meaningful ceasefire agreement and agreed to talks on a Government for the country, would we be in a position to persuade others to send troops to Angola immediately on that agreement being put in place? For instance, in Mozambique there was a six months delay from the time the peace process was put in place to the actual arrival on the ground of 4,000 blue beret United Nations troops.
My colleague, Deputy Flaherty, raised the question of the UN consolidated appeal for Angola which, I understand is £226 million but of which only £56 million has been pledged to date — pledged but not delivered — and towards which European Union has not made any contribution, as the Minister outlined in his reply. Would the Minister agree that this is not a very honourable position for European Union to adopt notwithstanding that it has made a contribution of £36 million for emergency aid? As a member of European Union, what initiatives are we taking at Commission level to ensure that the EC responds to the consolidated United Nations appeal?
I will try to deal with the different aspects of the Deputy's question but he may wish to come back to some if there is any omission on my part.
I am mindful of the serious situation in Angola and will keep it under review. The Minister of State, Deputy Kitt and I will remain in contact with the Irish Aid agencies on their assessment of further need. The Deputy will appreciate that there are many demands on the emergency humanitarian assistance fund but certainly the situation in Angola is appalling and has huge requirements. With regard to emergency situations, one has to make decisions on the best and fastest channel to get aid to those in need. In this respect I am satisfied that the three aid agencies, GOAL, CONCERN and Trócaire are best placed to help. As is well known, Trócaire has been active on the ground in Angola for many years and GOAL and CONCERN have recently sent teams there. When the UN appeal was launched earlier this year there were genuine fears at international level that relief would not get through to those in need and indeed there were substantial grounds for that belief. The Irish aid agencies have become active. I am satisfied that they will put our funding to good use. The EC has not contributed to this UN appeal but it has already contributed $33 million. With regard to the Deputy's comment on the necessity to have UN troops on standby, and available to go into service, that has to be put in context having regard to the financial and personnel constraints in the UN. We are conscious that already there are more than 14,000 EC troops in the former Yugoslavia, despite the fact that many people give the impression that nothing is being attempted. The UN is under tremendous pressure in relation to its operations. The Secretary General of the UN has particular difficulties in having further troop complements available because of the number of crises with which the organisation is trying to grapple. This must be considered by the UN in the review of its 50 years of operations. On the question of funding of the UN, some of the main contributors are very much in arrears in payments. We certainly welcome the commitment by President Clinton at the General Assembly in New York in September that the US will be making every effort to catch up on its arrears. As Deputies know we are owed vast sums of money by the UN.
We heard about two weeks ago that it is unravelling.
It is, and I would not underestimate the extreme difficulties. Obviously, the UN would want to assist if the conditions on the ground are such that there is a ceasefire and we are talking about the rebuilding of Angola. I would not play down the difficulties the Secretary General will have in getting troops deployed in Angola.
Is the Minister aware that last week at the meeting of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs some of the aid agencies to whom he referred expressed concern at the failure of the EU to contribute adequately to the consolidation appeal? Will the Minister undertake to raise this issue again at EU level? Will the Minister clarify the Government's policy and EU policy on the ceasefire and the associated issue of sanctions? I am sure the Minister is aware that many people feel that this is just time-buying process by UNITA and they have grave reservations about holding off sanctions in the context of a ceasefire which is so far short of what we understand as a ceasefire, and a process in which they are not sure about the sincerity of the other party involved?
The matter is very high on the agenda of the General Affairs Council of the European Union and it will continue to be so. I got reassurances in Washington that it is also very high on the US agenda because of the appalling atrocities. The Deputy is no doubt aware that the UN Security Council on 15 September 1993 adopted Resolution 864 and under its terms, UNITA was given notice that unless a ceasefire was established and agreement reached on the implementation of the peace accord, an embargo on the sale of arms, military equipment, military assistance and oils will be imposed. Unfortunately, UNITA did not comply with the resolution and the embargo is now in force. With our European partners we are determined that action will be taken to implement these measures. We work with the Twelve in relation to Angola and will continue to ensure that Angola remains high on the international agenda. I have not received a report from the committee meeting of last week, but I will ensure that I get it. We will have discussions with the aid agencies in relation to their concerns, because their experience is invaluable.
I thank the Chair for allowing us to tease out this issue because the situation in Angola is probably the most tragic in the world despite the tragedy in Ireland where more than 3,000 people have lost their lives in 20 years. In Angola 900,000 Angolans, mainly noncombatants, women and children have died from starvation, lack of clean water and so on in the past 16 years. On behalf of Ireland will the Minister take the initiative on Angola? We know the effect of President Robinson's visit to Somalia. Ireland can take a very strong position in regard to the conflict in Angola. Will the Minister take a leading role on Angola and ensure that strong diplomatic pressure is put on UNITA to come back to the negotiating table and that the sanctions are made to work? It requires a person to take the initiative because otherwise it will get mixed up with the normal humanitarian and aid initiative of the EC.
I am conscious of the scale of the horror which Angola has suffered for the past 16 years. I accept what the Deputy said on the necessity for diplomatic pressure. I will convey those feelings in the strongest possible terms to my European colleagues at our next meeting.
To develop the point made by Deputy Owen on an Irish initiative on Angola, what instructions has the Minister issued to our envoy at the UN in relation to the mandate in Angola? Has the Government sent a diplomatic enjoy to Rwanda to say to the imperial Government that we recognise that Government as the legitimate Government of the country? No doubt the Minister will say that we are acting within the Twelve on a common foreign policy but, as my colleague suggested, it is very important that we take a special interest in that country because of our past. We should be seen to take the initiative in this case.
Will the Deputy proceed by way of questions? Please be brief.
I am inclined to agree with the answer which the Deputy gave himself half way through his comments. I would not understate the seriousness of this situation. The Deputy will appreciate that the Government at the moment is very much preoccupied with efforts on this island to establish peace and save lives. Notwithstanding that, as I said to Deputy Owen, I will at the next meeting of Foreign Ministers bear in mind the strong views of this House on the situation in Angola.
In relation to the arms embargo in the resolution of the Security Council in September, we were informed by the Joint Committee on foreign affairs two weeks ago that this embargo was not operating and that nobody was actually implementing it or monitoring its implementation. There is no point in the UN adopting a resolution in relation to an arms embargo which is not being implemented. Will the Minister indicate whether this matter will be raised with the Secretary General of the UN because clearly serious steps must be taken to bring this conflict to an end?
I accept what the Deputy said in relation to the authority of UN resolutions if efforts are not made to implement them. I will take that matter up with the UN and inform the Deputy of the outcome at the earliest opportunity.
