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Democratic Republic of Congo

Answer

The International Crisis Group report includes recommendations on:Ensuring Free and Fair ElectionsThe international community, including the UK, is fully focused on ensuring successful elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as a vital first step towards a sustainable peace, effective and accountable government and long-term poverty reduction in the DRC. The UK is the largest bilateral donor to the electoral process, providing £22.2 million over 18 months. We have made clear to all parties in government the critical importance of keeping to the electoral timetable and ensuring that free and fair elections take place.Good Governance and JusticeThe International Committee Accompanying the Transition (CIAT—which includes a number of ambassadors, including from the UK, and the UN) has been putting increasing pressure on the Government of the DRC to tackle corruption. CIAT issued its most strongly worded communiqué yet to the DRC Government on this issue this week, and the Secretary of State for International Development has made an offer of further UK support to the army integration conditional upon tackling corruption in the army pay system. DfID supported an audit of the justice sector in the DRC last year, and will be supporting the implementation of the resulting action plan for long-term reform. We also plan to support a programme to rehabilitate the justice system in the east of the DRC, where some of the worst human rights abuses have been committed.An Integrated National Army and Police Force to Establish SecurityIntegration of the army is essential for providing security to the people of the DRC and the region as a whole. The UK is funding two members of the EU Security Sector Reform Mission to the DRC (EUSEC), which is providing advice to the Congolese Government on army integration in the run-up to elections.In his recent visit to the DRC, the Secretary of State for International Development offered UK help to provide water, shelter and human rights training to the newly integrated brigades, but only on condition that the Government of the DRC feed their troops properly and accept and implement the recommendations of the EUSEC report on reforming the army pay system to help stamp out corruption.Disarmament, Demobilisation and Repatriation of the Forces Democratiques de Libération du Rwanda (FDLR)The Congolese army, in conjunction with MONUC (the UN mission to DRC), is exerting military pressure on the FDLR to disrupt its operations in the Kivu provinces. We have encouraged MONUC to support the Congolese army in taking a robust stance against the FDLR but are clear that the solution to the problem requires political as well as military pressure.Fulfilment of MONUC’s Mandate to Protect CiviliansThe protection of civilians is an integral part of      MONUC’s mandate. We would consider strengthening MONUC based on a revised concept of operations from the department of peacekeeping operations. We are aware that regional leaders are, like the International Crisis Group, recommending to the Security Council that MONUC be strengthened. The Security Council is considering this.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

2500; 676 c112-3WA

Session

2005-06

Subjects

Army Corruption Development aid Elections Peacekeeping operations Democratic Republic of the Congo International Crisis Group

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk