Written answers
Wednesday, 22 September 2021
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Foreign Conflicts
Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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81. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the actions the Government has taken and is taking through its role on the UN Security Council and by other means to contribute to the search for the approximately 2,700 Yazidi women and children who are still missing as a result of being taken into captivity by ISIS seven years ago; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45540/21]
Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I welcome all efforts to identify and protect the victims of ISIS brutality, ensure accountability for perpetrators, and support the repatriation and resettlement of Yazidis, allowing them to return to their homes.
Ireland is a member of the Global Coalition Against Daesh. On the Security Council, Ireland has consistently called for full accountability for crimes committed by Daesh/ISIS. I strongly support the work of the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Daesh (UNITAD), and welcome the extension of its mandate on 17 September for a period of one year.
Ireland welcomes efforts by the Iraqi government to support women and children who were captured by ISIS, notably the passage of the Yazidi Survivors Bill. I encourage full implementation of the provisions of this Bill.
Ireland also continues to support the work of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), including their efforts to promote human rights, and to promote the safe, dignified and voluntary return of internally displaced persons.
Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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82. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps the Government is taking through its role on the UN Security Council and by other means to specifically address the religious element to the violence between Fulani herders and sedentary farmers in northern Nigeria; if the Government has raised with the Nigerian Government the disproportionate impact this violence has on Christians in Nigeria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45541/21]
Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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I am deeply concerned by the ongoing violence in Nigeria. Conflict poses a serious challenge to the country’s stability, and impacts on the wider region.
The particular acts of violence referred to are between nomadic herders and settled farmers. While in Nigeria the vast majority of herders are Muslim and many of the farmers are Christian, conflict arises from differences of perspective regarding access to land. This is exacerbated by climate change and by rapid population growth in Africa's most populous country, which has increased strain on resources.
Resource conflict such as that between herders and farmers also complicates the ongoing efforts by the Nigerian authorities to contain the violence perpetrated by Boko Haram in Nigeria and the wider region. Ireland supports international efforts to reduce its influence and to strengthen the protection of civilians.
The Embassy of Ireland in Abuja actively monitors developments in Nigeria and advocates for the protection of human rights, including the free expression of thought, conscience and religion. Through the Irish Aid programme, Ireland provides humanitarian support to those affected by conflict in Nigeria and the wider region. Ireland also provides funding to the Institute for Integrated Transitions, an NGO working in Nigeria, which has assisted in the establishment of an inter-ethnic and inter-religious committee on long term solutions to ethnic, religious, and resource based violence, including conflict between sedentary farmers and nomadic herders.
Ireland, bilaterally and as a Member State of the EU, works with the Nigerian authorities and with UN partners to promote peace and security in areas affected by armed groups and insecurity, including as an elected member of the UN Security Council.
As co-penholder on the Security Council file on the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), together with Niger, Ireland’s key priority is to support and facilitate UNOWAS in its work on conflict prevention and peacebuilding in West Africa and the Sahel, and promoting democracy and human rights in the region. In its most recent Presidential Statement on this matter, on 17 August 2021, the Security Council strongly condemned continued attacks against civilians in the region, and expressed the need for accountability for human rights violations and abuses. The Council also recognised the adverse effects of climate change on security and stability in the region, and the need for long-term strategies to support stabilisation and build resilience.
The Embassy of Ireland in Abuja continues to closely follow developments in Nigeria in cooperation with government authorities, civil society organisations, and our EU and UN partners. The Department of Foreign Affairs is committed to continuing to provide much needed support to strengthening peace and security in the region.
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