Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 June 2023
151. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the degree to which the UN continues to challenge the activities of the Boko Haram and Al Shabaab; whether cases are being referred the International Court of Justice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29030/23]
View answerIreland strongly condemns the violence perpetrated by Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab. We support international efforts to reduce their influence and assist populations affected by their actions.
The UN engages in a number of activities challenging Al-Shabaab both directly and indirectly. This includes support through the UN Security Council-mandated African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), which supports the Federal Government of Somalia in its fight against Al-Shabaab; the UN Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS), which provides logistics support to ATMIS; and the UN Al-Shabaab Sanctions Committee, which undermines Al-Shabaab’s financial and other operations. Indirectly, the UN works to address the underlying causes of support for Al-Shabaab through the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), which provides advice to the Government of Somalia particularly in areas of peace- and state-building; as well as through bodies such as the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA).
During our term on the UN Security Council Ireland engaged regularly on the security situation in Somalia. Ireland played an important role in the drafting and introduction of the ATMIS mandate and remains engaged through the EU, which is its primary source of funding. Ireland has been a long-standing contributor to the humanitarian response in Somalia, providing over €18 million in direct funding in 2022 – including €8 million to the UNOCHA Somalia Humanitarian Fund and €1.38 million to UNFPA.
Ireland is playing its part in helping tackle the impact and causes of armed conflict and forced displacement in the Sahel and West Africa. Since 2015, we have provided over €36 million in bilateral assistance for the Lake Chad region, including North-East Nigeria. Since 2017, Ireland has provided €1 million annually to the UNOCHA Nigerian Humanitarian Fund, to address critical humanitarian needs.
Ireland also contributes directly to peace and security efforts. While on the Security Council we were co-penholder with Niger and subsequently Ghana on the file for the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), through which the UN is working to stabilise the Lake Chad region. Ireland is also a member of the International Support Group of the Regional Stabilisation Strategy for the Lake Chad Basin, and has observer status at the Sahel Alliance. The Regional Stabilisation Facility is a rapid response mechanism to aid local authorities in tackling the Boko Haram insurgency by enhancing basic service delivery, improving livelihoods and addressing governance challenges in affected areas of the Lake Chad Basin region. In addition, Ireland is supporting stabilisation efforts in the Sahel through the deployment of 8 Defence Forces personnel to the EU training mission in Mali. Between 2019 and 2022, Defence Forces personnel were also deployed in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).
The International Court of Justice primarily deals with inter-state disputes. The International Criminal Court has jurisdiction over atrocity crimes committed on the territory of States Parties to the Rome Statute or by their nationals or in situations referred to the Court by the UN Security Council. In December 2020 the ICC Prosecutor announced the conclusion of the preliminary examination of the situation in Nigeria (a State Party to the Rome Statute) confirming that there is a reasonable basis to believe that both members of Boko Haram (and its splinter groups) as well as members of the Nigerian Security Forces committed crimes against humanity and war crimes. The next step in the judicial process is for the Prosecutor to request authorisation from the Pre-Trial Chamber to open an investigation into the situation in Nigeria.
