Democratic Republic of Congo

(asked on 5th February 2015) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations his Department has made to the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo on the planned closures of the internally-displaced persons camps in North Kivu province and the start of military operations against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda.


Answered by
Lord Swire Portrait
Lord Swire
This question was answered on 12th February 2015

On 30 January the government of the DRC announced that military action had begun against the FDLR, but it is our assessment that comprehensive operations are yet to fully commence. Officials at the British Embassy in Kinshasa have reiterated to the government of the DRC that international expectations remain high: the threat posed by the FDLR to civilians and to the security and stability of the region must be tackled. We are also clear that the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) and the United Nations Organization Stabilisation Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) must ensure efforts to minimise the impact on civilians remain forefront in planning for military operations against armed groups. We are working closely with the humanitarian community and MONUSCO to this end. This includes liaising with, and providing financial support for, organisations working up contingency plans for any potential humanitarian impact. We are also actively engaged with humanitarian organisations and the DRC government to ensure that any approach to the IDP camps around Goma complies with humanitarian law and the Kampala Convention.

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