§ 14. Mr. HansonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next expects to meet representatives of the United Nations to discuss the refugee crisis in Zaire. [4599]
§ Dr. Liam FoxOur permanent representatives to the UN in New York and Geneva are in regular contact with the UN secretariat, members of the Security Council and representatives of UN agencies regarding the situation in eastern Zaire.
§ Mr. HansonI welcome what the Minister has said, and what the Foreign Secretary said earlier, but is there not a need for a political solution, as well as military activity in terms of the humanitarian effort? What new initiatives will the Government take with the UN, both in New York and on the ground with the special envoy, to ensure that a political solution is reached?
§ Dr. FoxFirst, let me say how grateful the Government are for the efforts of the European Union and UN special 331 envoys. We are in constant touch with our partners, and with UN agencies. Any political solution, however, must be regionally based. There is no point in even attempting an imposed solution; the solution must be developed by the states in the region. We cannot impose a solution on African states: the solution must come from those states themselves.