THE DRAMATIC flow of up to 700,000 refugees back into Rwanda has all but quenched the calls from Irish organisations for large scale Western military intervention in the region. The Irish aid agencies still believe an international force including Irish troops should be sent into eastern Zaire, but say its role should be restricted now to logistical and humanitarian assistance.
This view is shared by Ms Joan Burton, the junior Minister at the Department of Foreign Affairs, who says a force of 4,000 to 6,000 soldiers is now needed, instead of the 15,000 originally envisaged.
The Government is expected to seek approval from the Dail next week for the participation of several hundred Irish troops in such a force.
Meanwhile, the Government has allocated about £1 million, made available from lottery funds, to Irish NGOs working in the area, including Concern, Trocaire and Oxfam. An application from Goal, which pulled out of Rwanda several months ago but is seeking to return, is still being processed.
A further £250,000 is being allocated to a UN trust fund set up to facilitate participation by African countries in the proposed international force.
Concern responded yesterday to the flow of refugees by calling for a massive injection of humanitarian aid; a programme to "kick start" the judicial system within Rwanda; and help with the reintegration of returned refugees in their home communes.
More than 700,000 refugees are still out of reach of the aid effort in Zaire, it pointed out. Military intervention might still be necessary to reach these people, but this would cost 10 times as much as humanitarian assistance without necessarily solving the problem.
"It's too late now to be talking about military intervention for the refugees who have left Mugunga camp," says Concern's deputy chief executive, Mr Paddy Maguinness. "For the Irish troops, the priority now would be to provide logistical support."
Ms Burton suggested that part of the international force intended for Zaire/Rwanda could be diverted to the Burundian border. "There is an urgent need for international monitoring to protect against human rights abuses by elements of Burundi's army against refugees returning from Zaire."
She criticised the "appalling failure" of UN institutions to see that those accused of taking part in the genocide two years ago are fairly tried.
Pad&v Agnew adds from Rome: The Taoiseach, Mr Bruton, met the Rwandan Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Pierre Celestin Rwigema, at the World Food Summit last night. Mr Rwigema expressed his thanks for Ireland's generosity towards the refugees, in particular the latest £1 million.
