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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 6 Feb 1996

Vol. 461 No. 1

Written Answers - Current Situation in Burundi.

Dan Wallace

Ceist:

32 Mr. D. Wallace asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the current situation in Burundi. [2412/96]

Ivor Callely

Ceist:

34 Mr. Callely asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the current situation in Burundi; the progress, if any, made on this matter since April 1995; the current number of refugees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2428/96]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 32 and 34 together.

Against a background of continuing ethnic violence, growing civil unrest and the alarming report of the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights which has highlighted increased ethnic polarisation there, the situation in Burundi continues to be a matter of serious concern to the Government. We are making every effort, both bilaterally and with our EU partners, to prevent any further deterioration in the situation. As Deputies are only too well aware, the humanitarian, economic, ethnic and political aspects of the situation in that country have far-reaching implications for the stability of the entire Great Lakes region. The Government therefore see an urgent need for the Government of Burundi and all interested parties to engage in substantive political dialogue and to avoid further violence and human suffering.
As part of the international community's efforts to resolve the situation in the Great Lakes region, an EU Ministerial Troika visited Rwanda and Burundi last September. In Burundi, it addressed various aspects of the situation there, including the initiation of national dialogue; the establishment of a commission of inquiry into events in Burundi in 1993; the repatriation of refugees; human rights and judicial reform; and the holding of an international conference on peace, stability and security in the Great Lakes region. Since then there have been continuing intensive diplomatic efforts to establish a political framework to promote peace and stability both at national and regional level in Burundi and neighbouring countries. Facilitated by former US President Carter, the Presidents of Burundi, Uganda, Rwanda and Zaire and a special Presidential envoy from Tanzania held a regional summit and issued a joint declaration in Cairo on 29 November. It was agreed that a followup meeting would be held early in 1996.
In December the UN Secretary General appointed a new Special Representative to Burundi, Mr. Marc Faguy. He is actively engaged in promoting peaceful dialogue. The Secretary General has also written to the Security Council suggesting the deployment of a military intervention force in Zaire to intervene in the event of a sudden deterioration of the situation in Burundi. The UN Security Council, in Resolution 1040 of 29 January, has stated its readiness to impose a ban on the supply of all arms and related material to Burundi and has supported the efforts of the UN Secretary General to facilitate comprehensive political dialogue. In addition, the Secretary General is sending a technical mission to Burundi to examine how to improve security and the protection of humanitarian operations. The Organisation of African Unity and former-President Nyerere of Tanzania are actively engaged in preventive diplomacy at both national level in Burundi and throughout the Great Lakes region. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mrs. Ogata, visited Burundi in January and has agreed to send an initial team of five human rights monitors to Bujumbura with EU funding. The US Ambassador to the UN, Mrs. Madeleine Albright, visited Burundi on 20 January.
At the General Affairs Council in Brussels on 29 January, Ireland strongly supported the decision to appoint an EU Special Envoy to the Great Lakes region. It is envisaged that this envoy, who will be appointed as soon as possible, will act as a facilitator to help resolve the crisis in the region in conjunction with the efforts of the United Nations, the OAU and other interested parties. The EU envoy will also help in preparing for the holding of an international conference on peace, stability and security in the Great Lakes region under the auspices of the UN and OAU.
The Government considers that there is an urgent need for the International Commission of Inquiry into the assassination of the President of Burundi in October 1993 and the ensuing massacres to do its work, so that justice may be done. We have recently allocated a grant of 150,000 US Dollars to support the commission's work.
The humanitarian situation in Burundi is critical at present. Hutu rebel groups have cut off water and electricity supplies to towns and cities: cholera is reported to be on the increase in the capital, Bujumbura, and attacks on humanitarian aid workers have crippled relief operations in recent weeks.
The rebel military activities have occured predominantly in the north of Burundi where refugee camps are situated. Recent violence between forces of the National Army and armed bands in Muyinga province, provoked the flight of 15,000 Rwandan Hutu refugees into Tanzania. Although the border between Tanzania and Burundi has remained closed since March 1995, the Government of Tanzania admitted these refugees on humanitarian grounds. I commend the Government of Tanzania for their generous response to the recent crisis.
Within Burundi, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees estimates that there are 180,000 Rwandan refugees mainly in refugee camps in the Northern provinces of Burundi and over 450,000 internally displaced people who have fled their homes. It will be vital to ensure that humanitarian relief continues to reach vulnerable people in Burundi in the coming months, if a further deterioration of the humanitarian situation is to be averted. In addition, the UNHCR are committed to maintaining priority for the voluntary repatriation of Rwandan refugees in Burundi to their homes in Rwanda.
Since the current crisis in Burundi began in October 1993, the UNHCR estimate that 740,000 refugees have fled Burundi to the neighbouring states. In 1995, however, Burundi refugees returned home spontaneously. At present the UNHCR estimate that there are 180,000 Burundi refugees in neighbouring countries.
This week, senior officials from my Department are due to travel to Burundi as part of a special EU Troika mission specifically aimed at helping to resolve the crisis in that country. It is the Government's firm objective that the concerted efforts of Ireland and its EU partners in supporting the OAU, UN, former Presidents Carter and Nyerere and other intermediaries, will result in the prevention of any further escalation in ethnic tensions in Burundi while at the same time resolving the refugee problem and other pressing issues at regional level.
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