Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 14 November 2012
17. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps he has taken with his EU colleagues to highlight at the UN the ongoing conflict in the Congo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50166/12]
View answerThe Government and our EU partners are closely monitoring the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Since the end of the all-out civil war in 2003, progress has been made in establishing a democratic system of government in the DRC. However, while much of the country has achieved a degree of stability, several localised conflicts have continued, in particular in the east of the country. These conflicts have in many cases been characterised by an appalling degree of brutality, with large-scale attacks on the civilian population and widespread sexual violence. A large number of armed groups have based themselves in eastern DRC since the genocide in Rwanda in 1994, including Hutu extremists (FDLR) who fled Rwanda after taking part in the genocide, and Tutsi rebels (CNDP). The situation is also further complicated and destabilised by the presence of followers of Joseph Kony and his so-called Lord’s Resistance Army who have moved across the borders form northern Uganda.
The latest upsurge in violence has been triggered by a rebellion earlier this year by a group known as M23, which had previously been integrated into the DRC army. The group are now attempting to establish control by armed force of a part of the territory of the eastern DRC which they are occupying.
Ireland has constantly and fully supported the actions of the United Nations to bring about peace in the DRC, including through its deployment of peacekeeping forces and the implementation of Security Council Resolutions and the work of Special Envoys and Rapporteurs, as well as through its aid programmes on the ground. In recent times, a UN Expert Panel has been working to investigate the truth of allegations that some neighbouring countries have been supporting the M23. It is important that any such support is exposed and brought to an end.
I and my EU Foreign Ministerial colleagues have discussed the situation in the DRC on a number of occasions and we will focus on it again at the forthcoming Foreign Affairs Council on 19 November.
We remain gravely concerned about the humanitarian situation in the eastern part of the DRC where well over 300,000 people have been displaced since April, and we are calling on all sides to fulfil their obligations in relation to access for the humanitarian agencies responding to the needs of the affected civilian population.
We are also supporting the efforts of regional bodies such as the International Conference for the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to help find lasting solutions to the root causes of the conflicts in the DRC.
