Written question asked by Baroness Brown of Silvertown (Labour) on Thursday, 10 February 2022, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 21 February 2022. It was answered by Vicky Ford (Conservative) on Friday, 25 February 2022 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Homicide

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to DR Congo: The Forgotten Bianga Indigenous Massacre, published by Human Rights Watch on 9 February 2022, what steps she is taking to support the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo in (a) investigating and prosecuting crimes related to this alleged massacre, (b) providing health care and psychological support to survivors, and (c) enabling reconciliation and prevention of further conflict between Iyeke and Nkundo people in the Bianga area.

Answer: We are aware of deeply troubling reports of a massacre of Iyeke people in Tshuapa province and have engaged with Human Rights Watch on the findings of their article. The UK Government is concerned by high levels of violence across the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Working through the UN Joint Human Rights Office the UK is helping to monitor and verify reported human rights abuses and provide support to the Government in strengthening judicial processes and tackling impunity. This has included technical and operational assistance to national human rights institutions (such as the National Human Rights Commission) and civil society organisations to enhance their capacity to promote and protect of human rights in the DRC. UK funding to TRIAL International in DRC is also supporting the provision of legal aid to survivors, strengthening pathways to justice and helping to ensure perpetrators are held to account. We will continue to encourage the Government to improve the human rights situation, strengthen early warning mechanisms and uphold legal protections for marginalised communities - including the Iyeke - within the DRC. We will also continue to work with members of the international community to counter hate speech and incitement to violence in DRC.

Secondary information