Written question asked by Fiona Mactaggart (Labour) on Monday, 18 December 2006, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 8 January 2007. It was answered by Hilary Benn (Labour) on Wednesday, 10 January 2007 on behalf of the Department for International Development.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will review whether the arrest of former presidential candidate Marie-Thérèse Nlandu should lead to changes in the aid programme to the Democratic Republic of Congo; and if he will make a statement.

Answer: The British ambassador in Kinshasa has spoken to the Interior Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and advisers to President Kabila on several occasions regarding the detention of Marie Therese Nlandu. We and European partners raised our concerns that Mme Nlandu's human rights, particularly her access to legal representation, were not being respected. The British embassy in Kinshasa continues to monitor the situation closely.The UK's development programme is focused on improving the lives of poor people in DRC and preventing a return to the violence that has blighted progress there. About half of our £62 million programme is spent on meeting urgent humanitarian needs. The other half is used to promote longer term development, for example, we have supported distribution of anti-malaria bednets to protect one million people and supported mobile courts to deliver justice in some areas unserved for many years. It is important that this DFID support, including reform of the judiciary, continues.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 112879; 455 c580-1W;455 c578-9W
Session: 2006-07
Subjects: Politics and government Democratic Republic of the Congo Nlandu, Marie-Thérèse
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk