Ray Burke
Ceist:135 Mr. R. Burke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the Government's and the EU's response to the continuation of human rights abuses committed against the Ogoni people in Nigeria. [18589/96]
Vol. 470 No. 1
135 Mr. R. Burke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the Government's and the EU's response to the continuation of human rights abuses committed against the Ogoni people in Nigeria. [18589/96]
Both the Government and our EU partners continue to have serious concerns about the general human rights situation, including that in Ogoniland, and the pace and manner of the transition to democratic rule in Nigeria. Foreign Ministers of the European Union discussed these issues at the meeting of the General Affairs Council on 15-16 July. On that occasion we noted that there has been a number of potentially positive developments including the interim response of the Nigerian Government to the recommendations of the fact finding mission of the UN Secretary-General, the resumption of dialogue with the Commonwealth, the release of a number of political prisioners and the establishment of a commission on human rights. At the same time, however, we continued to have serious concerns and called on the Nigerian Government to expedite the process of transition to democracy and to ensure full respect for human rights and the rule of law.