Written question asked by Angus Robertson (Scottish National Party) on Wednesday, 5 March 2008, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Friday, 7 March 2008. It was answered by Meg Munn (Labour) on Thursday, 13 March 2008 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Politics and Government

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the possible impact of the International Criminal Court's investigations of (a) Mathieu Ngudjolo, (b) Germain Katanga and (c) Thomas Lubanga on the security situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo; and if he will make a statement.

Answer: The arrests of Mathieu Ngudjolo, Germain Katanga and Thomas Lubanga send a strong message that the international community is determined to hold those guilty of atrocities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to account for their actions. Efforts to prosecute militia leaders who commit the most serious abuses against the civilian population in DRC should continue, both as a matter of justice for their victims and to serve as a deterrent against future acts of violence. There is no evidence that the enquiries into Ngudjolo, Katanga and Lubanga by the International Criminal Court have had any impact on security in DRC.

Secondary information