Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 31 March 2004
59 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will be attending the ceremonies to be held in Kigali, Rwanda in April 2004 to mark the tenth anniversary of genocide in that country; if Ireland’s Presidency of the European Union will mark this date appropriately; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10025/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraI intend to travel to Kigali on 7 April 2004 in order to attend the ceremonies which the Government of Rwanda has organised to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the horrific genocide in Rwanda. The date of 7 April 2004 has been designated by the United Nations General Assembly as the International Day of Reflection on the Genocide in Rwanda and I believe it is important for the European Union to be appropriately represented at the commemoration ceremonies in order to demonstrate the Union's solidarity with the people of Rwanda and with the victims of the genocide. The scale of the brutality and horror which occurred at this time must never be forgotten.
As President of the Council of Foreign Ministers, I will address the main commemoration ceremony in Kigali on 7 April on behalf of the European Union. It is also the Presidency's intention to issue a declaration by the European Union to mark the anniversary. This declaration will state the European Union's intention that crimes against humanity such as occurred in Rwanda in 1994 must never again be tolerated or allowed occur without prompt active intervention by the international community. I will also refer in my statement to the major efforts which are being undertaken during our Presidency to improve the EU's capacities in the area of early warning and conflict prevention and which are designed to try and prevent a recurrence of the kinds of atrocities perpetrated in Rwanda in 1994.
