Written question asked by Baroness Brown of Silvertown (Labour) on Monday, 18 September 2023, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 16 October 2023. It was answered by Andrew Mitchell (Conservative) on Monday, 16 October 2023 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Elections

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support civil society in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (a) strengthen democratic processes and (b) enable accountability ahead of that country’s elections.

Answer: The UK has a long-standing commitment to supporting prosperity, development and stability in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The UK is working with stakeholders to support the delivery of elections this year. We continue to emphasise the need for these to be free, fair, inclusive, and transparent to support long-term stability and prosperity. I visited DRC in March, meeting politicians, business, and civil society groups to discuss the many challenges DRC faces but also the enormous opportunities. I spoke to the DRC Minister of Finance on Friday 13th October at the World Bank Annual Meeting reinforcing its argument for free & fair elections later this year.

Secondary information