State papers: Mary Robinson and government in conflict over visit to observe famine in Somalia

President Mary Robinson on her visit to Somalia. 

President Mary Robinson’s much-praised visit to Somalia in 1992 to highlight famine in the Horn of Africa was greeted with less enthusiasm by senior officials in Dublin, according to newly-released State papers.

The confidential files show leading civil servants were concerned about the high-profile role being taken by Ms Robinson, even though the trip had been commended on the international stage with even the prospect being raised that it could earn the Irish president the Nobel peace prize.

Ms Robinson had been briefed about the crisis situation in Somalia from discussions with representatives of aid agencies, including how law and order had completely broken down with armed factions stealing humanitarian aid, while millions were facing starvation.

Among those urging the President to visit Somalia in order to bring a worldwide focus on the growing famine in the country were Fr Aengus Finucane of Concern; John O’Shea of GOAL; and Martine Goode of the Irish Red Cross.

Security concerns

However, Government officials did not share the same feeling as they had major reservations about the proposed trip, primarily due to security concerns.

Gardaí had also received advice from their international colleagues and warned that “anyone of stature” visiting Somalia at the time would be at risk because of the country’s “chronic instability and level of banditry". They also advised that Ms Robinson should not stay overnight in Somalia during any trip to the region.

The then Taoiseach Albert Reynolds informed the President that he had no objection to her travelling to Somalia subject to any security considerations.

 President Mary Robinson helps feed one of the starving children at a feeding centre in Mogadishu.

However, Ms Robinson’s subsequent suggestion that she should travel directly to New York from Somalia in order to report to the UN secretary general, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, was greeted with even further dismay by Government officials.

The country’s top civil servant, Dermot Nally, remarked that Ms Robinson appeared to be “moving outside her bailiwick” in seeking to report to the UN secretary-general.

Ireland’s permanent representative to the UN claimed such a visit would have been unprecedented.

As a result, the President was informed via officials that the Taoiseach believed her proposal to go directly to New York to address the UN about her trip to Somalia “would not be appropriate.” 

In a subsequent phone call between the pair, Ms Robinson told the Fianna Fáil leader that she would not be getting involved in creating any policy but taking a lead role in furthering existing policy.

She claimed she was just putting “a humanitarian face on the policy position adopted by the Government.” 

Visit approved

Ultimately the Government approved the visit to Somalia and New York on the basis that the Minister for Foreign Affair, David Andrews, would accompany her to both locations.

Files show the Defence Forces were concerned that the Government had been advised by a UN representative in Somalia that Ms Robinson should use the Government jet for travel in and out of the country because of the risks to the aircraft.

Mr Nally also informed the Taoiseach that he would need the Government jet around the same time for a number of engagements, including visits to Spain, the UK and “the Longfordman’s dinner.” Ultimately, the President travelled by a chartered plane into the war-torn country during what turned out to be a successful, incident-free visit.

On her return from New York, she again met resistance to her fresh initiative to write to other heads of state to ask them to take action to help Somalia.

Mr Reynolds informed the President that such a letter could only be sent if changes were made to its content to remove criticism of the European Community as well as to make clear that she had travelled to Somalia with the approval of the Government in the company of Mr Andrews.

When Ms Robinson signalled she wanted to write a book about her visit to Somalia, she was informed that the attorney general had advised that any such book would have to be approved by the Government.