Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)

The Government continues to be deeply concerned about the crisis in Darfur and its spillover into neighbouring territory in Chad and the Central African Republic. We are pursuing all avenues to support international efforts to address the grave humanitarian, political and security challenges faced there.

On the ground in Darfur the humanitarian situation remains very difficult. Civilians, humanitarian workers and the members of the African Union Mission in Sudan, AMIS, are being targeted on an ongoing basis. A further 150,000 civilians have been displaced this year, in addition to the 2 million already displaced, the majority of whom have not been able to return home. The difficulties being faced by UN agencies and NGOs are a particular concern.

Ireland continues to make a strong contribution to international efforts to alleviate this human tragedy. In the period 2004-07 Irish Aid provided €29.7 million in emergency and recovery funding for Sudan, of which €19 million was specifically for Darfur. Since 2006 Ireland has provided €3.31 million in humanitarian aid for the Central Africa Republic and €3.5 million for Chad.

Following sustained political pressure from the international community, on 12 June the Government of Sudan approved the proposed UN-African Union hybrid peacekeeping mission. On 22 June the African Union authorised deployment of the mission and agreed that it should be strongly mandated to protect civilians, support the peace process and work towards the establishment of the secure environment needed for the sustainable return of internally displaced people. Discussions are now ongoing in New York on a new UN Security Council resolution that would pave the way for UN funding for the hybrid mission.

The Government played an active role in the international efforts to address the underlying political crisis in Sudan which led to the breakthrough on the hybrid mission. In his meetings with the Sudanese Foreign Minister in Khartoum in July 2006 and in New York in September 2006 the Minister for Foreign Affairs urged the Government of Sudan to agree to UN engagement in peacekeeping in Darfur. The Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs with responsibility for overseas development, Deputy Conor Lenihan, met the Minister of Economy, Planning and International Co-operation of the Central African Republic on 8 February to discuss the situation there. The Government has also been working closely with our European partners in this matter.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

For example, on 18 June EU Foreign Ministers reiterated their support for the United Nations' work in establishing a multi-dimensional UN presence in eastern Chad and the north east of the Central African Republic. The Government will continue to accord the highest priority to tackling the humanitarian, political and security challenges in the Darfur region of Sudan and neighbouring countries and will remain closely engaged in international efforts to resolve all aspects of this crisis.

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