Written question asked by Jeremy Corbyn (Labour) on Wednesday, 28 October 1998, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 2 November 1998. It was answered by Tony Lloyd (Labour) on Monday, 2 November 1998 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions have been held with the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo concerning human rights and democratic government.

Answer: Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have been held with the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo concerning human rights and democratic Government. [57519] Mr. Tony Lloyd: I made clear our wish to work with the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to improve the human rights situation and promote democratisation when I led a European Union Troika mission to Kinshasa in June. We continue to raise our concerns about the human rights situation at every suitable opportunity, bilaterally, with our EU partners and in international fora. In particular, our Ambassador in Kinshasa has raised the targeting of Tutsis and possibly civilians of other ethnic groups. He has also made clear our readiness to help with the rebuilding of the country, including support for the electoral process, and that in doing so we are looking for progress towards respect for human rights, democracy, economic reform and the rule of law.

Secondary information