Written Answers. - Burundi Crisis.
Eric J. Byrne
Ceist:
43
Mr. E. Byrne
asked the
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs
if his attention has been drawn to fears that ethnic strife in Burundi could cause a refugee problem in Tanzania and Zaire similar to the problem experienced in Rwanda; the contingency plans, if any, which have been discussed at EU level to provide humanitarian aid in that event; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[6821/95]
Colm M. Hilliard
Ceist:
50
Mr. Hilliard
asked the
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs
if he will encourage the EU to implement policies which will help to prevent the crisis in Burundi from escalating.
[6850/95]
Dan Wallace
Ceist:
71
Mr. D. Wallace
asked the
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs
the steps, if any, the Government intends to take to ensure that the tragedy in Rwanda is not repeated in Burundi.
[6855/95]
Ivor Callely
Ceist:
74
Mr. Callely
asked the
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs
if he will make a statement on the current situation in Burundi; and the steps, if any, Ireland has taken to help resolve the situation.
[6982/95]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 43, 50, 71 and 74 together.
The Government is deeply concerned about the recent escalation of violence in Burundi which was resulted in the deaths of hundreds of innocent people in Bujumbura and the displacement of more than 23,000 refugees to neighbouring Zaire. According to reports, between 50,000 and 100,000 Rwandan refugees, who had fled to northern Burundi last year, are being forced to move, this time to Tanzania.
To prevent further deterioration of the situation, the Government considers it important that all political parties and other forces in Burundi should implement the terms of the Convention of Government agreed on 10 September 1994, the provisions of which constitute the institutional framework for the necessary national reconciliation in Burundi.
Ireland has strongly supported the EU Declaration on Burundi made at the informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers I attended in Carcassone on 19 March. This was later developed into the common position of the EU on Burundi, of 23 March.
The main provisions of the common position are:
— a Ministerial troika visited Burundi on 24 March. The report of this visit, which was under the leadership of the French Minister for Co-operation, Mr. Bernard Debre, is now to hand.
— the EU will assist the Burundi Government to organise a national debate to consolidate national reconciliation and reconstruct democracy.
— the EU is prepared to lend its support to sending human rights experts to Burundi within the framework put in place by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the necessary contact will be made with the UNHCR to define the conditions of EU participation. An amount of ECU 3 million may be contributed by the EU to the funding of this operation.
— the EU is prepared to assist in restoring the rule of law and strengthening the Burundi judicial system.
— the EU supports the rapid convening of a round table of donors for Burundi.
— the EU is prepared to implement, for Burundi, the action plan for refugees which was adopted at the International Conference on Refugees in the Great Lakes region, which Ireland attended, in Bujumbura, last February.
In the Carcassone Declaration we also undertook to expedite an international commission of inquiry into the assassination of the President and subsequent massacres which took place in Burundi in October 1993. Such a commission is regarded as an essential prerequisite to national reconciliation because it would break through the culture of impunity which surrounds those suspected of being involved in the 1993 atrocities.
The EU is giving urgent consideration to the implementation of these measures, particularly those concerning human rights observers, stengthening the judicial system, the convening of a round table conference and the plan of action for refugees.
Ireland, together with its EU partners, supports the call by the UN Security Council on the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) to continue to use their influence to stabilise the situation in Burundi. We also strongly favour the holding of a regional conference on peace, stability and security, which has been proposed by the Security Council.
I am sure the House will share the Government's concern for the safety of Irish citizens and aid workers, almost all of whom have now left the country. The necessary arrangements have been made through the EU regarding contingency plans for those who remain.
We had extensive contacts with the World Food Programme, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the European Commission regarding the food supply situation in the region after receiving reports of a severe disruption in the food pipeline. While the immediate shortfall has been bridged, funding remains potentially serious, especially if the situation deteriorates.
The EU Commission has assured us that it has assembled a stockpile of food in the region which will help it to respond, at least initially, to any contingency. The Commission approved an additional allocation of 12 million ECU in emergency assistance on 9 March, half of which is food aid, bringing the total amount committed by the EU to ongoing emergency programmes to 62 million ECU. The EU and its member states have contributed generously to the Rwanda/Burundi crisis providing about half of all the assistance that the region has received from the international community since the outbreak of the Rwandan crisis in April 1994.
The Government has recently allocated a further £750,000 from the Emergency Humanitarian Assistance Fund to meet the emergency needs of refugees from Burundi and Rwanda. This decision means that Government funding for emergency relief operations in Burundi, Rwanda and neighbouring states during the past twelve months has reached IR£4 million.
My Department will continue to monitor the situation closely in conjunction with the EU and the international agencies.
The Government is doing all it can to ensure that the disaster of Rwanda is not repeated in Burundi. I am glad to be able to conclude on an encouraging note — however slight — by referring to the joint declaration which was issued on 29 March in Burundi by the leaders of the Government, the political parties and the military, which is designed to reassure the population and concentrate energies on the pursuit of peace.
