Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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460. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the murder of a person (details supplied) in a rural area of Tumaco, Colombia; if his attention has been further drawn to the fact that the community council in the area has repeatedly denounced human rights violations against the Afro-Colombian, Mestizo and indigenous persons in the region; his views on the Colombian Government's programme of forced coca eradication and the methods it has used which has resulted in a number of deadly clashes between communities and security forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46413/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I am aware of the case to which the Deputy refers, that of Mr. José Jair Cortés, who was killed in Tumaco in the Nariño province of Colombia on 17 October, in the aftermath of another incident of violence which occurred there on 5 October and resulted in the deaths of at least seven civilians and the wounding of many more. I wish, first of all, to extend to the family of Mr. Jair Cortés, as well as to all of those affected by the recent incidents of violence in this region, my sincere sympathies and condolences.

Incidences of violence and intimidation against local communities in marginalised rural areas of Colombia, notably among Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities, as well as the continued presence of armed groups in such communities, remain a matter of great concern, as evident from the views expressed by the local community council and referred to by the Deputy.

Tumaco is among the regions of Colombia which has suffered most consequences of the country’s conflict. It is important that the programme of forced eradication of coca crops in this and other regions is carried out with due regard for the rights and well-being of the local communities.

I am glad of this opportunity to reiterate that such violence is entirely unacceptable. I urge the Government of Colombia to ensure that these incidents are thoroughly investigated and their perpetrators brought to justice.

The governor of the Nariño Department has issued a statement condemning the killing of Mr. Jair Cortés and calling for a full investigation into his death, and I would support that call.

I note also that the President of Colombia has instructed the National Police and the Colombian Armed Forces to cooperate with the Colombian DPP to determine what occurred in the incident of 5 October, and that the Colombian National Police has ordered the suspension of four of its officers in connection with that incident.

I welcome these statements as a sign of the resolve of the Colombian authorities to address this deplorable violence. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has an ongoing commitment to supporting peace and human rights in the most affected areas of Colombia and officials from my Department visited Nariño in 2015 and 2016. As well as ongoing exchanges with the Colombian authorities at Government level, officials of my Department engage regularly with human rights defenders and civil society leaders active across Colombia, including those working in some of the communities most affected by conflict.

The recent acts of violence in Tumaco are a cause for great concern. At the same time, however, we must acknowledge the strides which have been made in the implementation of the peace process in Colombia to date. The full decommissioning of FARC weapons was completed by July 2017, eight months after the agreement was finalised. A cease-fire with the country’s second largest guerrilla group, the ELN, took effect at the beginning of October. The peace process provides the framework in which the endemic violence and impunity which has afflicted Colombian society for decades can successfully be addressed. Ireland is committed to supporting its full implementation to ensure a future of peace for all Colombians.

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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461. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has discussed the civil war in Yemen with that country’s diplomatic representatives; if he has discussed it at European level; and the measures he will take on this issue. [46441/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I am extremely concerned about the current situation in Yemen, in particular as the humanitarian crisis continues to deteriorate. The war has entered into its third year, the political process has stalled, and fighting is continuing, with increasingly devastating consequences for the civilian population. Meanwhile, the country is on the brink of famine and is facing the world’s fastest-growing cholera epidemic. EU Foreign Ministers last discussed the situation in Yemen at the Foreign Affairs Council in April. The Council called on the parties to start negotiating a peace agreement, and committed to increasing its engagement with Yemen once a political solution to the conflict is agreed. The EU is the largest humanitarian donor to Yemen and has provided over €170 million in humanitarian aid since the conflict began, to which Ireland contributes via the EU Development Budget. Ireland has also worked in the UN system to address the human rights situation in Yemen. At the Human Rights Council in September 2017, Ireland was part of a small core group of countries that drove forward the adoption of a Resolution on Yemen. This Resolution established a group of international experts to examine allegations of human rights violations of human rights during the conflict, and to report back to the UN Human Rights Council next year. This investigation is an important step towards accountability in Yemen, and will help establish the facts in relation to violations of human rights and humanitarian law on the ground.

Although Ireland has diplomatic relations with Yemen, there is no resident Embassy in Dublin to allow for regular contact. However, Ireland has shown support for the Yemeni people through our significant contributions of humanitarian aid, amounting to over €10 million since the conflict began in 2015. This includes humanitarian funding of €4 million announced by Minister of State McHugh at the High-Level Pledging Event for the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen, held in Geneva in April 2017. Ireland is the sixth largest contributor to the UN Humanitarian Fund for Yemen since the outbreak of the conflict.

There can be no military solution to the conflict in Yemen. The only way to improve the situation for the Yemeni people is through peaceful resolution of the conflict. Ireland supports the efforts of UN Special Envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed and his team, who are working towards a peace agreement that is acceptable to all parties to the conflict.