Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Foreign Conflicts.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 May 2004

Wednesday, 19 May 2004

Ceisteanna (34, 35)

Denis Naughten

Ceist:

19 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the situation in Afghanistan and on the recent Afghan donor conference; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14507/04]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The overall situation in Afghanistan remains complex, despite some measure of progress on a number of fronts. It is important that the international community remains focused on how best to support Afghanistan in the next stages.

The security situation in Afghanistan remains grave, as illustrated by the recent factional fighting in the north-west, the assassination of the Civil Aviation Minister in March, and a number of attacks on personnel involved in preparations for elections. At the same time, we have seen some progress with the agreed expansion of ISAF through the Provincial Reconstruction Teams. It is envisaged that six such teams will be in operation under ISAF command by the time of the NATO Summit on 28 June 2004 in Istanbul.

I participated in the conference, Afghanistan and the International Community — A Partnership for the Future, to which the Deputy refers and which took place in Berlin on 31 March and 1 April 2004. In my EU Presidency capacity, I set out for the Berlin conference the position of the EU and its member states. My statement emphasised the EU's continuing firm commitment to the reconstruction of Afghanistan and underlined the fact that the EU will continue to be one of the major donors towards the cost of reconstruction.

The conference also provided an opportunity to review the achievements of the Afghan Transitional Authority, ATA, and of the international community in the reconstruction of Afghanistan. The international community undertook to continue to address Afghanistan's development requirements beyond the Bonn process. Total pledges at the conference, taking into account those countries in a position to enter into multi-year pledges, were $8.2 billion. Some $4.5 billion was pledged for 2004, of which the EU pledged some €700 million, including Commission assistance of some €245 million.

This constituted a successful outcome for the conference, the main objective of which was to secure funding for the ATA's development programme, which estimated the external financing requirement from March 2004 to March 2005 at some $4 billion and some $28 billion over seven years to 2011. Following the Tokyo conference on Afghanistan in January 2002, Ireland disbursed €12 million in reconstruction assistance to Afghanistan. At the Berlin conference, Ireland pledged a further €5 million to be expended over the next two years.

At the Berlin conference, President Karzai announced that presidential and parliamentary elections will take place in September 2004. The elections will constitute the next and final step in the implementation of the Bonn agreement of December 2001 on arrangements for the re-establishment of permanent government institutions in Afghanistan. In order for the elections to be credible, a successful registration process is needed. The European Commission has committed €15 million towards the total cost of the registration process. Over two million Afghans have registered to date, approximately 70% of whom are men. The most recently reported daily registration figures have been steady at around 35,000 registrants per day with women comprising over 30% of those registering.

The European Commission is currently putting in place arrangements for effective EU support for the elections. These will include: the deployment of additional expert staff in the European Union Special Representative's office in Kabul to enhance the office's analytical capacity regarding electoral law and practice; support for domestic observation teams; and media monitoring support to the Afghan Joint Electoral Management Body to deliver a report after the elections and to provide training to Afghans in media monitoring.

In order to ensure a secure environment for elections, it is important that all irregular forces are disarmed and demobilised or integrated into the national army. I welcome the steps already taken towards this end, but much more needs to be done so that the future Afghan government has unified armed forces at its disposal.

Ireland, together with our EU partners, fully supports the Afghan Transitional Authority's uncompromising stance on the illicit cultivation of and trafficking in drugs. It is vital that the international community and the Afghan people work together to eliminate the production, trafficking and consumption of opium in particular.

Question No. 20 answered with QuestionNo. 14.

Damien English

Ceist:

21 Mr. English asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on the situation in Uganda; the level of assistance given to Uganda since 2000; his views on the level of human rights abuses in Uganda and in neighbouring Congo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14512/04]

Amharc ar fhreagra

The situation in Uganda is characterised by relative political and economic stability and steady development progress over the past decade. The macroeconomic stability is continuing, though recent trends have indicated a fall in the levels of growth and some inequities in the distribution of its benefits.

The Ugandan government, in consultation with civil society, the private sector and the international community, is adjusting its poverty eradication action plan to respond to emerging challenges and priorities. Assistance is given to Uganda primarily through our country programme, which is carried out in partnership with civil society, including NGOs and missionaries. In addition, emergency humanitarian assistance is being provided and a small number of fellowships to enable Ugandan students to attend third level institutions in Ireland are also being made available. A total of €116,633,885 in development assistance was given over the period 2000-03. Of this, €110,104,382 was provided under our country programme and €6,529,503 through other channels. The following are the details of this assistance:

Country Programme

Civil Society

Emergency Assistance

Fellowship

2000

15,912,033

738,190

95,230

2001

24,527,996

1,623,000

49,259

2002

35,336,678

1,535,932

139,640

2003

34,327,675

1,703,119

400,000

245,133

Approval was recently given for a new country strategy paper, CSP, which provides for country programme assistance of around €30 million annually over the period 2004-06.

Continuing insecurity in the northern region of Uganda has caused widespread disruption and loss of life. The 17 year old civil conflict, caused by the brutal campaign of the Lord's Resistance Army, LRA, involving atrocities against the civilian population and large-scale abduction of children, intensified in 2003, resulting in a humanitarian crisis with more than 1.5 million people displaced. The ongoing tragedy represents a major challenge to the Ugandan government, which is pursuing its military campaign against the LRA but also recently indicated a willingness to seek a negotiated settlement.

On the domestic political front, Uganda has commenced a process of transition from its current "no party" movement democratic system to a multi-party system. It is hoped that this process will culminate in multi-party presidential and parliamentary elections in 2006. The debate on opening up the political space to allow for a more pluralist political system and multi-party democratic process is currently under way. While the move to multi-party democracy is welcome and will be a prerequisite for further development, proposals emerging from some quarters for a change in the Ugandan constitution, which would facilitate a third term by President Museveni, are viewed with concern by donors.

Respect for human rights is enshrined in the Ugandan constitution and Uganda has good policies and strong institutions in support of human rights, in particular an active and respected Human Rights Commission. It also has a free press which plays a constructive role in highlighting abuses. At the same time, donors have had concerns with regard to incidents of torture and illegal detention by security forces in 2003, which were highlighted in a recent report by Human Rights Watch, and they have kept the Government under pressure in this respect.

On the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, we have been informed that all Ugandan troops have been withdrawn from the DRC and that the Ugandan authorities have been extending full co-operation to the former EU Operation Artemis and current UN MONUC peacekeeping missions in the DRC. Uganda has resumed diplomatic relations with the DRC and has expressed its support for the transition process under way there.

In response to donor pressure, Uganda established the Porter Judicial Commission of Inquiry into allegations of illegal exploitation of natural resources and other forms of wealth in the DRC. The Government has underlined its commitment to following up on the commission's findings and bringing to account those implicated in such activities. While there is still unresolved business, action has been taken against key people whom the commission found to be involved, including the army chief of staff, General Kazini, who was dismissed from his post, and the President's brother, Salim Saleh, who was removed from parliament.

In the case of the DRC, the all-party interim government is making progress in establishing peace and security and is in the process of extending its authority throughout the country. The EU's Operation Artemis and MONUC peacekeeping forces have succeeded in establishing a degree of stability in the volatile north-eastern region adjoining Uganda and Rwanda. While there are no Ugandan troops remaining in the DRC, MONUC recently confirmed the presence of Rwandan troops on DRC territory, though Rwanda has denied any such incursion by its forces.

The Government's development programme is focused on reducing poverty in Uganda, one of the world's poorest countries. With our development partners — the Ugandan Government, other donors and NGOs — we have made significant progress towards achieving our objectives. I am convinced that the challenges which remain will be met by a continued policy of critical engagement.

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