Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 29 September 2004
330 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will give an update on Ireland’s role in the Sudan crisis where up to 50,000 civilians have died, more than one million made homeless and 2.2 million in urgent need of food and medical help; and the action our State has taken at the UN level to assist in ending this crisis. [21358/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government has been active in highlighting the crisis in Darfur and in urging action to address the humanitarian, security and political challenges which exist there. I availed of my visit to the United Nations General Assembly last week to press the case for stronger international action.
In my address to the General Assembly, I urged the UN Security Council to assert its will, as articulated in Resolution 1564. I also expressed concern that the Security Council had failed to act unanimously in adopting this resolution and urged the Council to unite behind its full implementation. I likewise used the address to appeal for continued support from the international community to meet the major humanitarian needs arising in Darfur. I paid tribute to the efforts of the humanitarian aid workers helping to relieve the situation and, in particular the efforts of Irish agencies such GOAL, Concern and Trócaire. The Government has provided almost €6 million in emergency assistance to meet the immediate needs of some of the most vulnerable populations in Darfur. Assistance amounting to over €3 million is being provided to other areas of Sudan where needs are also great. In addition, as I noted in my UN speech, the Irish people have been extremely generous in their private contributions to the aid agencies.
The Deputy will be aware that the Minister of State with responsibility for development co-operation and human rights, Deputy Kitt, visited Sudan, including Darfur, in July. While in Darfur, he had a series of meetings with Irish and International NGOs and United Nations agencies implementing relief efforts funded by the Irish Government. He also met the Sudanese authorities, including the Foreign Minister, Mustafa Ismail Osman.
I used the occasion of my visit to the UN last week to meet Minister Osman and to urge that his Government comply immediately with the obligations imposed on it by the Security Council in Resolution 1564. In particular, I stressed the need to open up all areas to humanitarian intervention, as well as the particular obligation on the Government of Sudan to disarm the Janjaweed militias. I also urged the Sudanese Government to intensify its efforts to conclude a final peace agreement with the SPLA/M in southern Sudan. In this regard, I call on all parties to the Darfur peace talks, including the rebel groups, to show flexibility, goodwill and commitment to reach a comprehensive agreement when talks resume in Abuja, Nigeria next month under African Union mediation. Ireland has also been active within the European Union in relation to Darfur.
The EU, under the Irish and now the Netherlands' Presidencies, has been centrally involved in addressing the political, humanitarian and security aspects of the crisis. The External Relations Council has issued several condemnations of the humanitarian and human rights violations in Darfur and has repeatedly called on the Government of Sudan to provide unhindered and safe humanitarian access to the region. The European Union has also condemned the actions of the Janjaweed militia and urged the Government of Sudan to take immediate action to disarm this violent militia and provide protection for the population of Darfur.
During its EU Presidency, Ireland worked to ensure close co-operation between the European Union and the United Nations in responding to the crisis in Darfur. As EU Presidency, we co-chaired a high level consultation meeting on Darfur, with the United Nations and the United States, on 3 June last in Geneva. Ireland has also pressed for a greater level of engagement by the Security Council on the issue of Darfur. I very much welcome the clear benchmarks set out in Security Council Resolution 1556 and reaffirmed in Resolution 1564 for measures, including disarmament and disbandment of the Janjaweed militia. I also welcome the call on the UN Secretary General contained in Resolution 1564 to establish an international commission of inquiry to investigate and make a determination as to whether acts of genocide have occurred in Darfur. The resolution makes clear that, if the Government of Sudan does not meet its commitments to disarm the militias and protect its civilians, the Security Council will consider further measures, including possible oil sanctions against the Sudanese Government.
The African Union is performing a crucial role in relation to the crisis in Darfur, through both its ceasefire monitoring mission and its mediation of the peace talks in Abuja. Ireland and the EU fully support the AU mission in Darfur and welcome the plans to substantially expand this mission in order to provide for more proactive monitoring of the situation in Darfur. The European Union is collaborating closely with the African Union on how best it can assist an expanded AU mission. The European Union has already provided substantial support to the existing mission, including an allocation of €12 million from the African Peace Facility established under the Irish Presidency. The EU is also contributing a number of observers to the ceasefire monitoring mission, including an officer from the Irish Defence Forces.
