Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 9 Nov 1999

Vol. 510 No. 3

Written Answers. - Chechen Conflict.

John Bruton

Ceist:

122 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has made any protest regarding the Russian attacks on columns of Chechen refugees, one of which resulted in 25 deaths and 70 wounded; if the fact that half the Chechen population have had to flee their homes constitutes ethnic cleansing of the kind which occurred in Kosovo and justified the NATO led war against Yugoslavia; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22459/99]

Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Andrews)

The Government is very seriously concerned at the situation in Chechnya. The loss of civilian life and the plight of refugees and internally displaced persons fleeing the conflict zone is totally unacceptable. Vulnerable elements of the population must be protected.

The present conflict began with the invasion of Dagestan in August and September by Islamic militants from Chechnya, and by apartment block bombs in Moscow and other Russian cities in September, which claimed almost 300 lives and for which Chechen guerillas were blamed by Russia. Russia has been bombing alleged rebel bases in Chechnya since 5 September, has occupied a security zone covering the northern third of Chechnya, and has crossed the Terek river and encircled the Chechen capital, Grozny.

An estimated 350,000 Chechen refugees, mostly women and children, have fled the conflict area, some 180,000 going to the neighbouring Russian republic of Ingushetia and also to North Ossetia and Dagestan. There have been numerous reports of Russian attacks on refugee convoys. Ireland and our European Union partners have made clear to the Russian authorities on several occasions, and at the highest level, our view that attacks on civilians and refugees are totally unacceptable.

As regards comparisons with the ethnic cleansing perpetrated in Kosovo, Russia has claimed that its action in Chechnya is not to drive Chechens out of Chechnya, but to prevent any further incursions by Chechen guerillas into other parts of Russia and it is for this reason they state they closed the border with Ingushetia, which prevented Chechens from leaving the area.

The closing of the border with Ingushetia has been a matter of the utmost concern to the Euro pean Union. On 30 October the Finnish Foreign Minister, Ms Tarja Halonen, representing the Presidency of the European Union, visited Ingushetia on a fact-finding humanitarian mission. In her discussions with Russian federal and local authorities, Foreign Minister Halonen emphasised that those seeking to leave the conflict zone should be allowed to do so and the road to Ingushetia should be opened forthwith. She deplored recent accounts of displaced persons being harassed and attacked as they have attempted to flee the conflict. Foreign Minister Halonen also spoke to Foreign Minister Ivanov and stressed the EU's concern at the deteriorating situation in the northern Caucasus, the unacceptable plight of civilians caught up in the conflict zone and the urgent need for efforts to be made towards a political solution.

On 4 November the EU delivered a démarche to the Russian authorities again calling for the opening of the border to Ingushetia, the removal of administrative obstacles to the delivery of humanitarian assistance and a very early start to negotiations. The border crossing at Kavkaz was re-opened on 4 November and at time of writing more than 3000 refugees are reported to have crossed into Ingushetia.

The Government fully supports the views expressed to Foreign Minister Ivanov by Foreign Minister Halonen representing the Presidency of the European Union. Together with EU partners the Government is concerned to see an urgent political solution to the situation in Chechnya. I intend to raise the issue at the European Union Council of Ministers in Brussels next Monday.

The Government fully condemns all acts of terrorism including the bombing attacks in Russian cities. It recognises the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation and need for the federal authorities to take measures to deal with terrorism. However, the Government's concerns regarding reports of attacks on civilians have been made known directly to the Russian authorities, and we will continue to press our view, both directly and through EU contacts, that there can be no military solution to the Chechnya conflict.

As chairman in the office of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe I have instructed Ireland's Ambassador to the Council to initiate urgent consultations with a view to establishing how best the Council of Europe could assist Russia in efforts to safeguard human rights and promote democracy in Chechnya.

There can be no military solution in Chechnya and efforts to arrive at a political solution must be given priority.