THE Minister of State for Overseas Aid, Ms Joan Burton, has welcomed as a "very positive move" the three week unilateral ceasefire declared yesterday in eastern Zaire.
There were also strong indications that three humanitarian "corridors" would be opened up, one of which would run from the eastern Zairean town of Goma into Kigali in Rwanda, the Minister told The Irish Times. However, aid workers would have to be given troop protection. She hoped such a request would be made today by the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) to the United Nations.
The Minister, who is chairing a meeting of EU development ministers in Brussels on the central African crisis later this week, said that she would favour a force of African troops in the first instance. If a request was made to the UN, Ireland would be on stand by to offer logistical and technical support, she said.
"I would recommend that the EU offer this type of assistance, but I believe that it would be far better to see African troops playing the main role."
The logistics of channelling assistance through the humanitarian corridor would be the first challenge, she said. "I would hope to see the humanitarian corridor being put in place very rapidly, as there is a very short time frame in relation to starvation and the prevention of epidemics.
"But in addition to dealing with the humanitarian situation, we have to be aware that a political framework is required," she said.
The Minister said that, as holder of the EU presidency, she had been advised of the ceasefire late on Sunday night.
Thursday's meeting of development ministers in Brussels will be preceded by briefings from the World Food Programme and the International Committee of the Red Cross, and will be attended by the EU Commissioner responsible for humanitarian affairs, Ms Emma Bonino.
. The Irish Red Cross Society has warned of "an unprecedented human tragedy" unfolding in eastern Zaire.
Christian Aid has written to churches all over Ireland urging them to organise special collections for refugees in eastern Zaire and Rwanda.
