Irish Aid and Foreign Policy Response to Crisis in Sudan, 1998-99

Irish government policy in relation to development and humanitarian response has traditionally been presented as sympathetic to developing countries and devoid of strategic self interest. Outside of its bilateral aid programme, Ireland has traditionally had only minor diplomatic relations with most developing countries, including Sudan. The events of 1998 in Sudan and Ireland's response to them represent a rare situation where Irish sympathy for developing countries, its commitment to famine relief and strategic self interest collided. This paper will examine the Irish government's response to the 1998 famine in Bahr El Ghazal, southern Sudan, both prior to and subsequent to the US bombing of the El Shifa pharmaceuticals plant in Khartoum. It will also draw conclusions with relevance to the future conduct of Irish foreign and aid policy towards states suffering endemic political and military crises given the increasing number of non-UN Security Council mandated interventions in both developed and developing countries by powerful western states