Fergus O'Dowd
Ceist:85 Mr. O'Dowd asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will continue to pursue the resolution of conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. [26803/03]
Written Answers. - Foreign Conflicts.
Substantial progress continues to be made in the efforts to bring about a just and lasting peace in the DRC. The new transitional Government comprising representatives of the Government of President Kabila and of the main rebel groups held its initial meeting last July and continues to discharge its functions while, in August, the interim Parliament was officially inaugurated. A particularly important development which I welcome was the meeting on 25 September between the DRC, Burundi, Uganda and Rwanda in the presence of UN Secretary General Annan in which the countries agreed to refrain from interference in each other's affairs and to prevent arms shipments to warring groups in the eastern area of the DRC.
However, the situation in the Ituri region and the north and south Kivus continues to be a source of concern. Recent incidents demonstrate the need for the newly formed transitional Government to establish its presence throughout the country and, in particular, in the eastern and north-eastern regions of the DRC. To this end, I welcome the decision by the transitional Government to send 3,000 police officers to the Ituri region. I also welcome the release of European Development Funds totalling €205 million to support the transitional Government in institution-building, constitutional reform and the strengthening of the rule of law, as well as funding for health services and debt relief.
Ireland, along with our EU partners, will continue to encourage the transitional Government in Kinshasa to consolidate its authority throughout the territory of the DRC and to hasten the process of creating an integrated national army and police force. Specifically, as regards the envisaged integrated police force, the EU is currently exploring how it might best assist this process.
In July 2003, the External Relations Council reiterated the EU's determination to deploy all its instruments in support of the political process under way in the DRC. To this end, the EU is committed to providing support for the work of the Ituri interim administration and the Ituri pacification commission, support for the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration process and the launch of a local reconciliation process.
Ireland fully intends to sustain the positive engagement of the EU in the DRC and the Great Lakes region during our Presidency. An important event in this regard will be the planned Great Lakes Conference for which no date has as yet been set but may take place during summer 2004. The conference will focus on peace, security, democracy and development in the Great Lakes region and will be held under the auspices of the African Union and the UN.
As further evidence of Ireland's commitment to the DRC, we will ensure that the office of the EU Special Representative to the Great Lakes Region is utilised to the full in promoting EU policy in the region. We will also seek to have the mandate of the special representative renewed during our Presidency. In addition, my Department continues to avail itself of bilateral meetings with regional and pan-African parties to stress Ireland's support for the peace process in the DRC and to encourage others to support fully the transitional institutions in that country. Such an opportunity was provided by the recent visit of President Museveni of Uganda to Ireland who offered assurances of Uganda's full support for the peace process in the DRC and commitment to disengage completely from that country.
Ireland will also continue to voice strong support for initiatives aimed at ending the culture of impunity generally in the region and bringing to account all those responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity and acts of genocide.
The Government will also continue its constructive engagement in providing substantial humanitarian assistance in response to the enormous suffering caused by conflict and natural disasters in the DRC. Development Co-operation Ireland – DCI – has delivered almost €5 million in emergency humanitarian aid for the people of the DRC since 2000 while a further €1.1 million has been made available under DCI's multi-annual programme scheme.