Having just returned from Mozambique, which is in the process of consolidating its own peace process, it is disappointing to observe that countries such as Angola, Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo are once again in the throes of upheaval. The recurrence of violent conflict in those and other African countries has led to some valid questions being raised about the role which the international community is playing to promote peace. Violent conflict has left almost no country on that continent untouched in recent years. Even in a western society it is easy to forget the long road of economic and political effort which created the Ireland and Europe of today.
The United Nations High Commission for Refugees estimates there are 7.2 million refugees and displaced people in Africa today - the largest proportion on any continent.
It is often impossible for outsiders to prevent violent conflict. However, the international community can avoid activities which exacerbate conflict, most obviously arms trafficking and the economic exploitation of natural resources in crisis situations. The conflict in the Congo has led to an alarming militarisation and internationalisation of the crisis in the Great Lakes region. It reflects a complexity which now goes beyond the legacy of genocide and ethnic violence and is affecting the political cohesion of central and southern Africa. The immediate objective of the EU and other members of the international community is to bring about a lasting ceasefire and a negotiated settlement which will facilitate the withdrawal of outside military interests.
Underlying Ireland's approach to this conflict is full recognition of the need for each country in the Great Lakes region to carry out fundamental reform in the areas of democratic transition, human rights, good governance and the rule of law to achieve conditions for lasting stability.
The Irish Government and people responded very generously to the suffering of the people in the Great Lakes region particularly in 1994, when between 600,000 and 800,000 people were slaughtered in an officially-sponsored act of genocide in Rwanda. Ireland was equally responsive when more than a million refugees returned home in late 1996 in an historically unprecedented movement of people. We are now trying to help establish the necessary conditions for peace and stability in a deeply traumatised and divided society through support for rehabilitation, reconstruction and reconciliation efforts. We are acting in line with EU policy which supports the process started by the present Rwandan government to recover from genocide.
The objective of Irish support is to break the cycle of violence and impunity which those countries have experienced for decades. It involves, in the first instance, meeting the most basic humanitarian needs of both genocide survivors and returned refugees - providing housing, water and sanitation, basic health care and food security.
We are supporting the peace process in Burundi under the guidance of former president Julius Nyerere of Tanzania. At the same time we are providing humanitarian assistance to a suffering population. In parts of Burundi last year malnutrition was as bad as in southern Sudan.
In Rwanda, we also give priority to assisting the rehabilitation of the justice sector.
The empowerment of communities to find ways to live together is vital. Likewise, the rehabilitation of the institutions of government so that they are inclusive, fair and responsive to the concerns of all sections of the people is an essential part of peace-building and will take time to establish.
Ireland, with other donor countries and the UN agencies, is supporting projects in this area. We are supporting community development programmes which involve all the community identifying priorities for development assistance.
This not only has a concrete outcome, for example, in access to safe water and increased agricultural yields, but also a longer-term social benefit. We are also funding, for example, housing for widows drawn from both parts of Rwandan society who are united in their poverty and their hopes for their children's future.
Irish official assistance, which has amounted to nearly £19 million to the Great Lakes region since the 1994 genocide, is channelled mainly through Irish NGOs, which have some of the most committed and professional teams of aid workers in Rwanda and Burundi, and through international agencies.
Helping to rebuild war-torn societies is difficult and not without risk. Legitimate questions can be raised about human rights, good governance and military expenditure.
These issues are constantly raised with governments in the region both at EU level and individually by governments, including Ireland. We must also ask the question: "Who would suffer if assistance were withdrawn?"
I can answer without doubt that it would be the most innocent and vulnerable African people, who have already suffered loss and displacement of unimaginable proportions.
At times, particularly when faced with appalling atrocities, it is difficult to choose between humanitarian assistance and human rights. Currently, we are facing this hard choice in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where both the government and rebel sides are being accused of gross human rights violations.
However, I do not think that the answer to this dilemma is to substitute our assistance to vulnerable people with a policy of abandonment until perfection is achieved by their political masters. The least we can do is use every appropriate means to reach those most in need and not hold their health, education and future well-being ransom to other agendas.
Liz O'Donnell is Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs with special responsibility for Overseas Development Assistance and Human Rights