Vol. 471 No. 7
105 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the current position in relation to any peace initiatives which are being pursued to end the civil war in Sudan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21693/96]
106 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the scope, if any, there is for the provision of additional aid programmes to help relieve the suffering of thousands of people in the north of Sudan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21694/96]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 105 and 106 together.
I refer the Deputy to Question No. 45 of 12 November 1996 which relates to this matter.
The Government and our EU partners remain very concerned about the situation in Sudan. The ongoing civil war, continuing human rights abuses and severe food shortages have caused great suffering to the Sudanese people.
The concerns of the Government about the situation in Sudan have been made known to the Sudanese Government by the Irish Ambassador in Cairo who is also accredited to Khartoum. Both bilaterally and along with our European partners, we have supported the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, which consists of Sudan and seven neighbouring countries, in its special initiative which is seeking to bring peace to Sudan. As part of the ongoing process of critical dialogue between the European Union and Sudan, discussions have taken place with the Sudanese authorities on various issues including the need to pursue the peace process, democratisation, and to ensure protection of human rights and the unhindered distribution of humanitarian assistance. We will continue to support efforts aimed at resolving the conflict in that country.
The Government continues to provide assistance to those who have suffered from the conflict in Sudan. Since 1994, it has provided nearly £1.25 million in emergency and humanitarian assistance to Sudan. This includes a recent allocation of £100,000 to UNICEF's Operation Lifeline Sudan for the provision of basic healthcare to displaced people in southern Sudan.
The Government is also aware of the particular humanitarian difficulties faced by the inhabitants of the large settlements of displaced people in the vicinity of Khartoum, northern Sudan. To this end, the Government has, since 1993, been providing assistance through GOAL for an ongoing project with displaced people around Khartoum. £430,000 has been provided to the project since 1993 including £125,000 this year.
