Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 26 Jul 1995

Vol. 455 No. 7

Adjournment Debate. - Bosnian Conflict.

Mr. R. Burke

In a statement last Friday, I welcomed that day's international conference on Bosnia and insisted that it was imperative that the London Conference be constructive, as the so-called safe areas depended upon it.

The British Prime Minister opened the Bosnia Conference with a "strong warning" to Serb forces not to attack UN "safe areas". As he uttered those words mortar fire rained down on the people of Sarajevo. His words; and those of other leaders who attended the conference, clearly demonstrate to us all the dreadfully inept and inadequate response of the international community to the murderous mayhem that is plaguing Bosnia.

For world leaders to issue strong warnings is just not good enough. World leaders should hang their heads in shame. Warnings, words, waiting and inaction are of little use. The horrible reality of events in Bosnia demands urgent action. The hand-wringing helpnesses and utter inaction of the UN and the EU is disgraceful in the light of the latest affronts to humanity by the murderous Serbs. The situation in Bosnia, perpetrated by the Serbs whilst the world stands by and watches, is deplorable and shameful. Without doubt, the future of the UN and Europe to prevent the aggression of the Serbs is something that will never be forgotten or rectified.

Ireland, through the ineffectiveness of the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dick Spring, and the Government will remain guilty by association so long as the Irish Government stands by and shuts its eyes to the horrendous atrocities, including murder, rape and their inhuman behaviour. Ireland must step out from the dithering crowd of world governments.

I ask the Government to at least take the lead in securing the effective implementation of the 1993 UN mandate, or give back to the Bosnian people the fundamental right to defend themselves, the fundamental right to exist. Resolution 836 (1993), June 4 1993, clearly outlines that UN policy is to protect the safe areas by using force.

The Council decides to extend the mandate of UNPROFOR to enable it to protect the safe areas of Sarajevo, Tuzla, Zepa, Gorazde, Bihac and Srebrenica, and to use force in self-defence or in deterring attacks against the safe areas ... to promote the withdrawal of military and paramilitary units other than those of the Government of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Hundreds of thousands of Bosnians are being hunted from their homes into safe areas and then subjected to the daily terror of bombardment from Bosnian Serb artillery, unprotected by the UN and crippled by an arms embargo. How do the UN respond? They dispatch additional troops to protect the troops that are supposedly protecting the enclaves. The Tánaiste, who has taken the credit for his involvement in establishing the safe areas, is emphatic that the arms embargo should not be lifted. However, Deputy Spring has never lobbied or called for the essential political protection of these safe areas. The Tánaiste's complete lack of action on this issue is disgraceful. He must come out from behind the skirts of his EU colleagues and make a clear decisive stance on behalf of Ireland. Currently we observe while the major world powers, the US and Europe, are strangling the UN.

We should observe no longer. Only yesterday, Serb troops stormed into the Bosnian safe haven of Zepa forcing thousands of women, children and Bosnian Government soldiers to flee. The fall of Zepa came as the Yugoslavian War Crimes Trinbunal indicted Serb commander Mladic and his political leader Karadzic for genocide and crimes against humanity. The UN stood helplessly by while Mladic swept into the deserted city after a week-long bombardment hammered it into submission.

This barbaric behaviour must be halted. Ireland must act. I call today for the Tánaiste to act. We have no political axe to grind and therefore cannot afford to be guilty by association.

Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (Ms Burton)

Ireland has been involved since 1991 in efforts to bring peace to the former Yugolslavia. I want to set out the three essential aims in terms of our foreign policy. The first is to maintain and develop the search for a peaceful resolution of the conflict on the basis of the Contact Group's peace plan. The core of the plan is a settlement involving the preservation of Bosnia as a single union within its internationally recognised border and the continuation of Bosnia's international legal personality, the allocation of territory within these borders on the basis of 51 per cent for the Muslim and Croat communities and 49 per cent for the Bosnian Serbs and the right of refugees and displaced persons to return freely and safely to their homes of origin.

The second objective is to prevent the spread of the conflict and the third is to ensure the supply and delivery of humanitarian assistance to the victims. The international aid operation in Bosnia is one of the largest in the world, supported by nearly 26,000 UN troops. Over 2.7 million displaced people benefit from its assistance. There is no doubt that many thousands of Bosnians would have died over the past four winters were it not for this international aid effort.

These are the essential aims of Irish and European Union policy. However, it is difficult to sustain progress toward these objectives faced with the situation on the ground. The Bosnian Serb capture of Srebrenica and Zepa and their offensives and threats against the other enclaves mark a new low point in the deteriorating situation in Bosnia.

With regard to Ireland's humanitarian response, which has been of special significance, the immediate priority is the tragic situation of the displaced population. Yesterday I had round table discussions with representatives of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the main Irish humanitarian aid organisations active in Bosnia. We are in a state of readiness to respond immediately to needs as they arise and we are also consious of the need for building up stocks of food and other essential aid for the coming months. We have also informed UNHCR that we are ready to receive further refugees when and if requested. This afternoon, the Government agreed to accept a further ten medical evacuees who are currently in a field hospital near Tuzla. All the necessary preparations to accept and care for such refugees are in hand. It should be noted in this context that over 178 visas for Bosnians who have relatives in Ireland have been approved but have not been availed of. In many cases the military situation has prevented these people from taking up their visas.

While the humanitarian agencies are meeting the immediate needs from existing stocks, they stress that in a deteriorating situation it is essential that new stocks, are built up for the coming winter. Communications and transport are already difficult because of the military situation and local restrictions. This situation would of course be exacerbated seriously in the event of lifting the arms embargo and the consequent worsening of the conflict. We remain in close contact with the aid agencies with regard to ongoing requirements. Ireland is working closely with the international humanitarian aid agencies to ensure that requirements are met. The Government has already made an additional allocation of £250,000 to the UNHCR, Oxfam and other NGOs to provide water, shelter, blankets and hygiene items. This brings to over £2.5 million Ireland's humanitarian assistance since the beginning of the conflict.

The Government condemns unequivocally in the strongest possible terms the reprehensible military actions of the Bosnian Serbs, which are in flagrant violation of international law. It has strongly supported the International War Crimes Tribunal since its inception and consistently argued that the tribunal must have sufficient resources for its investigative and judicial functions. In 1994 Ireland was among only a small number of member states which made a voluntary contribution to its work. The financial arrangements for the tribunal have now been agreed and Ireland is awaiting formal notification of its assessed contribution. This will be paid in time and in full in the next few weeks. The Government welcomes the start which has been made by the tribunal to ensuring that those responsible for the atrocities committed in Bosnia will be held accountable in international law.

With regard to the latest developments, the Government welcomed the convening of the meeting in London on 21 July of representatives of the United Nations, Contact Group members and major troop contributing countries. It was not to be expected that this meeting alone would instantly result in an immediate end to the Bosnian Serb aggression in Bosnia. The aim was to continue with a co-ordinated international response to the grave situation.

A number of important conclusions emerged from the London meeting. First, the meeting agreed there could be no permanent military solution to the situation in Bosnia and that diplomatic efforts towards a political settlement must be maintained.

Second, the meeting agreed to support UNPROFOR continuing its role in Bosnia despite the difficulties it faces. The withdrawal of UNPROFOR however would have the most tragic consequences for the local civilian population. Since the arrival of UNPROFOR in Bosnia in 1992, the death toll in the conflict has fallen from the hundreds of thousands to between three and four thousand. Millions of people have benefited from the humanitarian aid delivered with UNPROFOR's assistance. Over 700 UNPROFOR troops have put their lives at risk in support of this mission.

The Deputy must be aware of the consequences, in terms of war, casualties, displaced persons and refugees, the lifting of the embargo will bring about. The Deputy will have to carefully weigh the consequences of his recommendation, and its effects on people in the region.