Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 17 Oct 1995

Vol. 457 No. 1

Adjournment Debate. - UN Policies in Rwanda.

Mr. R. Burke

A catastrophic situation prevailed in Rwanda over one year ago. The international community could and should have done more to prevent and — if not prevent — contain the tragic developments there. A year later, in October 1995, the enormity of the disaster in Rwanda still exists. History continues to repeat itself as the international community could and should do more. The international community includes Ireland; it includes the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Spring, who could and should do more.

A tragic humanitarian disaster will occur again. This is a disgrace solely because the international community has not exercised its resources, its personnel, its politics, its heart in a manner that could contain the escalating crisis in Rwanda. President Robinson recently visited Rwanda, as well as Zaire and Uganda. The President first visited Rwanda in the aftermath of the genocide that ravaged that country last year. In excess of one million Rwandans died when the Hutu extremists in the Rwanda Government incited locals to kill members of the Tutsi minority of that country.

More than 12 months later, a tragic land, yet again, presented its face to the President. As a member of the international community and as a member of the UN the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, following the example set by the President, should stand up and be counted on the action or, perhaps, inaction of the Irish Government in relation to the nightmare conditions which bedevil Rwanda. A litany of worrying trends highlight the fragility of the conditions of Rwanda and the complexity of the problem which remains to be faced. Two very disturbing elements within Rwanda relate to the increasing infiltration of murder by the former Government in Rwanda and increased acts of violence carried out by organised gangs of hard-liners. We must not let the international community or the Irish Government forget the plight of more than 1.5 million refugees still living in camps along the Rwandan border and the nightmare of the grossly over-crowded prison system, which is inhabited by many who have returned across the border.

The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs should urgently activate and encourage the EU and the UN to implement policies which will assist in restoring a new and just society to the people of Rwanda. The delay in restoring a judicial system in Rwanda must be addressed by the international community, including the Irish Government, as one of pressing concerns for the immediate and long-term future of Rwanda.

I have highlighted in the House, over many months, the extremely unstable and deteriorating situation in Rwanda. I have highlighted the hypocritical stance of EU member states who vehemently protest about human rights abuses and genocide in Rwanda and at the same time supply weapons, directly or indirectly, to participants in the conflict.

In response to my questioning on Rwanda in the House in June 1995, the Minister of State, Deputy Burton, stated that a proposal existed which would enable money to be spent on rehabilitation in Rwanda. Money needs to be spent now on rehabilitation, on development of infrastructure and on a judicial system so that they can restore a new and just society to Rwanda. The Government, and especially the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs who has been particularly silent on this issue, must bring together the heads of the EU and the international community in a bid to slow and ultimately halt the ticking time bomb that is Rwanda today.

The Rwandans deserve a new and a just society. They have suffered. The Irish Government must show the world that this continued suffering cannot and should not be tolerated. Our President has given a fine example as a Head of State who is prepared to act; now this Government should do something similar. This bomb must not be allowed detonate Rwanda today.

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

As the Deputy is aware, I have only recently returned from visiting Rwanda where I accompanied President Robinson from 9 to 13 October. I was impressed by what has been achieved by the Government and people of Rwanda. People who do not know that part of Africa fail to appreciate that it is probably one of the most beautiful and fertile parts of this earth and being aware of the genocide which has been committed there adds immeasurably to the sense of tragedy one feels in that country.

Given that it is only a year since one of the greatest outrages of the 20th century occurred there, they have made considerable progress in reconstruction. Planting and agriculture are returning to normal. However, the situation is fragile and much needs to be done to avert another disaster and to restore civil society. While substantial international assistance will continue to be required to meet the humanitarian needs both within Rwanda and in the refugee camps on the borders, humanitarian assistance alone is not enough, it is not a substitute for a political settlement. It is essential for Ireland to work with the international community to help bring about national reconciliation, reconstruction and rehabilitation. In all of the high level contacts during the course of the visit we were thanked repeatedly for the work Ireland, the Irish Government, Irish NGOs, individuals and personnel have done at a number of different levels.

Within the context of our EU membership and our forthcoming Presidency responsibilities, it is the Government's intention to make action on Rwanda and the Great Lakes region a continuing priority. We will continue to pursue the following broad policy objectives in co-operation with the EU and the UN as well as with the Rwandan authorities: to encourage co-operation between the Governments and countries of the region to determine and implement concerted action on the underlying problems of the region; to encourage the return of the refugees and the provision of adequate conditions for them to return safely and with dignity; to encourage the international tribunal to start putting on trial those responsible for genocide at the earliest possible opportunity — one of the great failures of the international tribunal is that with one million people dead not one indictment had yet been issued — and to provide financial and other forms of assistance to help remedy humanitarian problems.

The Government has long been a proponent of concerted international action in response to the problems of the Great Lakes region and is acutely aware of the fact that previous proposals, such as the plan of action adopted by the conference in Bujumbura last February, were not implemented. Nevertheless, I welcome proposal for the holding of a Great Lakes Conference and those put forward for a number of high level mediators to facilitate a regional solution of the problems of Rwanda and Burundi. This is probably the most positive suggestion to emerge recenlty. The international tribunal, an essential part of the reconciliation process in Rwanda, has been slow to begin its work. There is a problem with resourcing, determination and addressing the question of impunity.

The Government places great emphasis on the importance of the implementation of policies by the international community and the provision of adequate assistance to enable the Rwandan authorities carry out measures necessary for the restoration of order. The Government considers that the restoration of the judicial system in Rwanda is essential to the process of recovery and in this context we welcome the recent election of the Supreme Court of Rwanda which took place towards the end of our visit. The restoration of the rule of law is one of the essential elements in creating favourable conditions for the return of refugees. The international community is already seized of the need to restore the judiciary and the administration of justice and to improve the appalling conditions of Rwanda's prisons.

I visit Butare prison last week where approximately 6,000 prisoners are being held in an area suitable for 1,000 prisoners. That would be the equivalent of 5,000 people standing in this Chamber shoulder to shoulder. It was clearly impossible for the Rwandan justice system to deal with the numbers currently in prison, estimated at approximately 55,000 — in the past the system could have dealt with approximately 5,000 people. International assistance, therefore, will be essential to deal with this problem and we will continue to encourage the provision of this assistance.

The Government has provided assistance to the human rights and justice sectors in Rwanda. I have previously provided details of this in written replies to questions tabled by Deputies Shatter and Kitt on 20 September.

In regions where we made extensive contacts, there was widespread admiration for the role Ireland played and will continue to play both at Government level and at NGO level, and individual Irish people working both with Irish and international agencies.