Written question asked by Mark Oaten (Liberal Democrat) on Tuesday, 4 November 2008, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 10 November 2008. It was answered by Baroness Merron (Labour) on Tuesday, 18 November 2008 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Armed Conflict

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of recent activity by the Lords' Resistance Army (LRA) in north-eastern Congo; what assessment he has made of such reports; and what representations he has received on the indictment by the International Criminal Court of four LRA members.

Answer: Local humanitarian agencies report numerous attacks against the civilian population by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in the territory of Dungu in north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in recent months. The most recent reports include details of an attack on Dungu over the weekend of 1-2 November. The LRA poses an increasingly serious threat to security across the region.The UK strongly supports the International Criminal Court and believes that its investigation in Uganda helped bring the LRA to the Juba peace process. Justice is an essential part of sustainable peace and it is vital that those responsible for the terrible crimes committed during the conflict in northern Uganda are held to account.

Secondary information