Rwanda And Burundi (Hansard, 25 April 1994)

§ 30. Mr. Donohoe
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures he will take to facilitate humanitarian relief to the victims of the conflicts in Rwanda and Burundi.

§ The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Douglas Hurd)
Since February 1993, we have provided £12 million of emergency aid to Rwanda and Burundi, including our share of European Community assistance. In the past week, we have committed some £820,000 through British non-governmental organisations for those suffering in the present conflict.

§ Mr. Donohoe
That is all very well, but, as my party's Front-Bench spokesman just asked, as the United Nations security force is doing absolutely nothing but is, in fact, withdrawing from an area that requires its assistance, when will the Government put pressure on the United Nations to bring back its troops to prevent further slaughter?

§ Mr. Hurd
I am not sure how either hon. Gentleman supposes that maintaining a United Nations force on the original scale will help assuage those horrors. Have not they read the report by the Secretary-General on which the Security Council acted? The Security Council concluded, on the advice of the Secretary-General, that it was no longer possible for that United Nation force to carry out its mandate in the form expected. Therefore, as happened some months ago in Angola in a slightly similar situation, it was decided to run down the force. I can assure the hon. Gentleman that there is no magic in keeping troops there if there is nothing useful that they can do.

§ Mr. Lester
Will my right hon. Friend do everything that he can to assist the Organisation of African Unity in what has to be in the end a negotiated settlement—preferably negotiated by Rwanda's neighbours? One attempt has been made already to bring the parties together. Will we offer all our experience and assistance to enable that process to begin?

§ Mr. Hurd
Indeed, the initiative here is with the President of Tanzania. He called for a peace conference on Rwanda in Arusha on Saturday, but it did not take place in the form intended. He is renewing his efforts, and that must be right. The effort must be to bring an end to the fighting. That cannot be achieved, as has been proved, by the United Nations force on the ground. There must be an end to the fighting; in the meanwhile, we shall do all that we can to relieve the human suffering. That is what the Community is doing.