Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to support freedom of religion in the Central African Republic.

The UK is committed to supporting Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) and promoting respect between different religious and non-religious groups in the Central African Republic (CAR). We work through the UN General Assembly Third Committee, UN Security Council and UN Human Rights Council to promote and protect these rights in CAR.

The UK contributes approximately £40 million annually to the UN peacekeeping mission (MINUSCA) which continues to provide security across CAR. The mission works closely with the CAR government with the aim of protecting civilians and helping religious and non-religious groups and communities to co-exist peacefully. We also continue to monitor and report human rights abuses committed by armed groups in CAR, including violations of the 2019 Peace Agreement such as violent attacks on houses of worship, hospitals, and schools.