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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 2 Jul 1998

Vol. 493 No. 5

Written Answers. - Angolan Conflict.

Breeda Moynihan-Cronin

Ceist:

76 Mrs. B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the recent actions, if any, taken by him or by the EU in relation to the ongoing situation in Cabinda as a result of the occupation of the territory by the Angolan army and, particularly, the use by the army of anti-personnel mines in the area. [16367/98]

The conflict between the Angolan armed forces and the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC) must be seen in the context of the process of peace-building and national reconciliation which is under way in Angola. This process is strongly supported by Ireland and our EU partners. In the wider international community, Ireland has supported UN Security Council Resolutions which aim primarily at encouraging UNITA (Unia o Nacional para a Independe ncia Total de Angola) to meet its obligations under the Lusaka Protocol, which sets out steps for the implementation of the peace agreement of 1994 concluded between UNITA and the Government of Angola. The Security Council has also urged the Government of Angola to avoid taking any action which might undermine the peace process and stressed the importance of strengthening the rule of law throughout the national territory.

The Angolan Government has indicated its wish to engage in dialogue with Cabinda separatists, with a view to making progress on the political and military situation in the enclave. It is to be hoped that a stabilisation of the overall situation in Angola would create the conditions which would permit such a dialogue to begin.

With regard to anti-personnel landmines, Ireland's strong opposition to the use of these weapons was reflected in the leading role we played in the negotiations which culminated in the Ottawa Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction. The Government will continue to promote the effective implementation of the convention worldwide. Ireland has made significant contributions to mine victim rehabilitation, demining, and mine awareness projects in Angola, one of the countries worst affected by anti-personnel landmines.

Finally, I wish to express the Government's deep regret at the death of the UN SecretaryGeneral's Special Representative in Angola, Maitre Alioune Blondin Beye, who died with five of his colleagues and two pilots in a plane crash last week. The international community owes Maitre Beye a great debt for his unremitting work for peace in Angola.
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