Brendan Howlin
Ceist:22 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his proposals following the recent visit to Darfur; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13549/05]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 28 April 2005
Ceisteanna (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
Brendan Howlin
Ceist:44 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the contacts he and the Foreign Ministers of the European Union have had with the Sudanese Government about the deteriorating situation in Darfur; the outcome of the talks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13550/05]
Amharc ar fhreagra
Jimmy Deenihan
Ceist:57 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if an arms embargo on the government of Sudan is in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13497/05]
Amharc ar fhreagra
Damien English
Ceist:62 Mr. English asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the situation in Sudan; the humanitarian assistance that is being made available to the affected regions in that country; the security assistance that will be made available by Ireland to Sudan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13478/05]
Amharc ar fhreagra
Willie Penrose
Ceist:64 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the contacts he has had through the European Union with the African Union; the support which has been offered to aid that body in its efforts to help ameliorate the present position in Darfur; the outcome of the talks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13552/05]
Amharc ar fhreagra
Bernard J. Durkan
Ceist:138 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the position regarding the situation in the Sudan, with particular reference to Darfur; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13867/05]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 22, 44, 57, 62, 64 and 138 together.
The political, human rights and humanitarian situation in the Darfur region of Sudan remains a matter of the deepest concern for Ireland. The Government continues to use all avenues open to it to urge action in addressing the urgent humanitarian, security and political challenges which exist there. The conflict in Darfur has displaced about 1.8 million people during the last two years. While estimates vary, it is likely that over 100,000 people have died as a direct or indirect result of this conflict.
The latest 30 day report by the UN Secretary General on the situation in Sudan indicates that the security situation in Darfur in March did not improve significantly. While attacks on the civilian population decreased marginally, these positive steps were overshadowed by the increased military activity undertaken by all parties and attacks against international personnel.
In 2004, Ireland responded to the crisis in Darfur by providing €6.38 million in assistance to the region. This funding was delivered rapidly to assist the life saving work of non-governmental organisations, UN agencies and the Red Cross family. Ireland's funding was utilised to provide food and essential non-food items to help families and individuals survive.
The Minister of State, Deputy Conor Lenihan, visited Sudan from 3 to 8 April and met a wide range of UN representatives, including Mr. Jan Pronk, special representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations. He also met with Sudan Government Ministers, NGOs, the Red Cross, community and regional leaders. In Darfur, the Minister of State visited the Mornei displaced persons camp in west Darfur and the Jabal Mara region of north Darfur. He also met with the force commander of the African Union's observer mission at its headquarters in El Fasher. In his discussions with the Sudanese authorities he stressed the importance of the restoration of peace and security in Darfur as soon as possible; the need for all parties to the conflict to negotiate in good faith and reach an early political agreement; and the need for the government of Sudan to co-operate fully with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, especially that relating to the International Criminal Court.
Ireland welcomes the decision by the UN Security Council on 31 March to refer the situation in Darfur since mid-2002 to the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. This will mean that those accused by the international commission of inquiry on Darfur of extremely serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law can now be brought to justice by this court, of which Ireland is a strong supporter.
After a generation of war the humanitarian situation in the south of the country is also dire. Approximately 2 million people have lost their lives owing to the civil war and over 4 million people have been displaced. The comprehensive peace agreement signed last January offers some hope that at last a new chapter is dawning in the history of southern Sudan and the country generally. In 2004, Ireland contributed approximately €4 million to NGOs and UN agencies working with some of the poorest and conflict affected people in south Sudan.
The Government welcomes the decision taken by the UN Security Council to establish a UN peacekeeping operation in Sudan to support implementation of the January 2005 comprehensive peace agreement for southern Sudan. The United Nations has invited Ireland to contribute a small number of officers from the Defence Forces to act as UN military observers with this operation. This request is currently being considered by the Department of Defence.
The Minister of State's visit to Sudan took place immediately before the major donors' conference on Sudan which was held in Oslo on 11-12 April. The conference pledged approximately €4.5 billion for Sudan up to 2007. While recognising that the peace agreement represents a new beginning for Sudan, participants emphasised the need to build on the agreement and to bring peace and stability to all of Sudan, including Darfur and the east of the country. Since Ireland is committed to assisting the people of Sudan rebuild their country after decades of conflict, the Minister of State pledged at the Oslo conference that we will provide €15 million to Sudan over the next two years. This funding will be used to meet immediate needs, such as food security, return of the displaced and basic education, and to begin to address the long-term development needs of the Sudan.
The EU has implemented a comprehensive arms embargo against Sudan since 1994. On 30 July 2004, the UN Security Council imposed an embargo on the sale or supply of weapons to all non-governmental entities and individuals, including the Janjaweed, operating in Darfur. This embargo was extended in March 2005 to include the government of Sudan.
The European Union most recently met with the African Union at the ministerial Troika meeting held in Luxembourg on 11 April. This meeting built on the solid partnership which has been established at previous meetings, including that in Dublin in April of last year. The Troika discussions concentrated on a number of issues, including the current situation in several African countries, such as Sudan, Somalia, Côte d'Ivoire and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The EU expressed its concerns over the conduct of the recent parliamentary elections in Zimbabwe. The Troika also discussed the fight against terrorism, conflict prevention and good governance.
With regard to the present situation in Darfur, the EU expressed its appreciation for the leadership role played by the African Union in addressing the Darfur conflict, in particular the role played by the African Union observer mission, AMIS, in improving the security situation in Darfur. For its part, the AU expressed appreciation for the support and co-operation provided by the EU for AMIS. The EU reiterated its continuing support to AMIS and its readiness to strengthen it. The EU is providing €92 million from its African peace facility for this observer mission, while Ireland has allocated €500,000 in support of the humanitarian and human rights aspects of the mission. An officer from the Permanent Defence Forces is also serving as an EU observer with this mission.
Seymour Crawford
Ceist:23 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on the security situation in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13500/05]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 18 March 2005, the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, reported on the situation in Afghanistan. The Secretary General said that the overall security situation had been relatively calm in recent months. He cautioned, however, that the international community should not become complacent and noted that there had been several recent cases of improvised explosive devices and landmines used to target coalition forces, the Afghan national army and coalition structures.
Since the Secretary General presented his report, there have been a number of incidents which indeed illustrate that the security situation remains volatile. On 21 April, 12 suspected militants were reported killed during a rocket attack on a US military base in Khost province, close to the border with Pakistan. On 16 April, a bomb planted by insurgents destroyed five oil tankers outside an American military base in Kandahar in southern Afghanistan. Supporters of the Taleban regime are reported to have carried out the attack. On 19 April, eight suspected Taleban fighters were killed by Afghan soldiers in southern Afghanistan.
The disarmament and demobilisation of irregular militia forces is a key factor in building a secure environment in Afghanistan. I am pleased to report that the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration process, DDR, has gained momentum in recent months. To date, almost 48,000 militiamen have entered the DDR process. It is estimated that less than 10,000 Afghan militia forces remain to undergo the programme by June 2006, the target date for completion of the DDR process. A large number of heavy weapons, twice the total number originally surveyed, have also been retained as part of this process. I welcome the progress made to date and strongly urge all concerned to make a full commitment to the completion of the DDR process. The training of a reformed Afghan national army and police force, key elements in building a secure Afghanistan, also continues to make progress.
Notwithstanding these positive developments, there is a need for the international community to remain focused on supporting Afghanistan. Parliamentary and local elections will take place on 18 September 2005. These elections will represent the final step in the implementation of the Bonn agreement of December 2001 towards the re-establishment of permanent government institutions in Afghanistan. The elections will undoubtedly present a considerable logistical, political and security challenge. In his report of 18 March, UN Secretary General Annan estimated that more than $128 million was urgently required to move forward with electoral preparations. The Government is currently considering the allocation of funding towards these elections.
The illicit narcotics industry in Afghanistan remains a serious problem which has implications for the security situation in Afghanistan as well as far reaching consequences around the globe. Afghanistan's opium industry generates an estimated 60% of Afghanistan's gross domestic product, GDP, and Afghanistan produces 87% of the global opium supply. President Karzai has identified counter-narcotics measures as a priority for the Afghan Government and has introduced a number of important initiatives in this regard. These include a national counter-narcotics implementation plan, the appointment of a minister for counter-narcotics, the creation of a cabinet sub-committee on counter-narcotics and the establishment of a counter-narcotics trust fund, which will be jointly administered by the Afghan Ministry of Finance and the UN development programme, UNDP.
Ireland, together with our EU partners, fully supports the Afghan authorities' uncompromising stance on the illicit cultivation of and trafficking in drugs. Over the past three years, Ireland has contributed €500,000 per annum to the UN office on drugs and crime, UNODC, €300,000 of which has been channelled into counter-narcotics projects in the region. This contribution is likely to be substantially increased in the present year.
It is clear that Afghanistan will face many challenges in the period ahead and will, therefore, continue to need extensive support from the international community. In this regard, I welcome the unanimous decision by the UN Security Council on 24 March 2005 to extend the UN mission in Afghanistan, UNAMA, for a further 12 month period. Ireland, together with our partners in the European Union, will continue to sustain our support to Afghanistan in the period ahead.
Question No. 24 answered with QuestionNo. 7.