Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 January 2019
150. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the measures Ireland has taken at EU and international level regarding the ongoing civil unrest and humanitarian crisis in Sudan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1051/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra151. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the engagements he has had with the Sudanese ambassador regarding the civil unrest and humanitarian crisis in Sudan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1052/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra152. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the engagements Ireland’s ambassador in Sudan is exchanging with state officials with regard to the civil unrest and humanitarian crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1053/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra153. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the protest movement in Sudan; his plans to raise opposition to repression of the protest movement; the contact he has had with the Sudanese authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1055/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 150 to 153, inclusive, together.
I am deeply concerned about the violence which has accompanied recent protests in Sudan, including credible reports of the use of live fire by the Government of Sudan and of multiple deaths.
Demonstrations, triggered by spiralling costs of living, began in the city of Atbara in the north east of the country on 19 December last year, spreading to over twenty towns and cities. While initially the protests were against the worsening economic situation, they have since developed into calls for President Omar al-Bashir’s resignation.
President Omar al-Bashir has reacted by closing schools and declaring a state of emergency in some regions. Sudanese police have used tear gas and live ammunition in an attempt to disperse crowds. It is reported that almost 1,000 people have been arrested across the country since protests began. The Sudanese Government has said that 19 people have been killed during demonstrations, while Sudanese activists and medical workers say that at least double that number were killed. The use of live fire and arbitrary detention in these circumstances can never be justified.
Ireland, together with our EU partners, fully supports the call on the Government of Sudan, issued by the European External Action Service, to exercise restraint, respect the right to peaceful protest and ensure that all law enforcement and security bodies act under its direct control and in accordance with Sudan's constitutional and international commitments. The Embassy of Ireland in Nairobi, which is accredited to Sudan, continues to monitor the situation closely in close cooperation with the Delegation of the European Union in Khartoum.
In addition to the current unrest, Sudan continues to suffer from a range of humanitarian crises, including protracted conflicts and natural disasters, which feed into the popular disaffection which feed the protests. This humanitarian situation has been further exacerbated by the economic crisis in 2018, leading to severe levels of food insecurity and malnutrition across the country. More than 1.8 million people are internally displaced and Sudan hosts a further 1.2 million refugees that have fled conflict in neighbouring countries, the majority of whom rely on humanitarian aid for their survival. As a result, an estimated 5.5 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in Sudan this year, including 2.6 million children. Ireland is responding to these crises, with almost €26 million in direct humanitarian assistance to Sudan through our UN, NGO and Red Cross partners since 2012.
