§ 6. Mr. Chris Mullin (Sunderland, South)What response she has made to the UN appeal on behalf of refugees from eastern Congo; and if she will make a statement. [104780]
§ The Secretary of State for International Development (Clare Short)We are working with others to try to relieve suffering in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, but there will not be substantial progress without political progress, which requires the installation of the now-agreed transitional Government in Kinshasa, Ugandan withdrawal from Ituri, and all parties ceasing to fund and supply their surrogate fighters, who are responsible for destabilising and terrorising the people of eastern Congo.
§ Mr. MullinIs my right hon. Friend aware that UN appeals for the Congo, Somalia, Eritrea and elsewhere in Africa where unspeakable tragedies are occurring have been massively under-subscribed, in some cases attracting only a few per cent. of the amount requested? Is there not a danger that events in Iraq will overshadow the very real tragedies in Africa? What can we do to try to avoid that?
§ Clare ShortI am following events in the Congo, Somalia and Eritrea in great detail, and the UK is highly involved. My hon. Friend said that appeals were massively under-subscribed, but it is not as bad as that. I shall give him further details. The whole of Africa is worried about the danger that the world will turn away from it, and there are serious crises in southern Africa, the Horn and Angola. I have given an absolute assurance that the UK will not turn away, and none of our funding will be removed—as I said earlier, I think that that has the support of the House. I can assure my hon. Friend that we will work to make sure that the international community does not turn away either.
§ Ms Julia Drown (South Swindon)What efforts are being made to tackle the human rights abuses that are continuing in the Congo, which are of such concern to refugees in the area?
§ Clare ShortHorrendous human rights abuse is taking place: killing, raping, even cannibalism, and, on 280 top of that, there is desperate poverty right across the country, which is as big as western Europe and massively rich in minerals. That is the tragedy of the history of the Congo. We are trying to provide humanitarian relief, but no one can secure human rights until we stop all the militias that are being armed and funded by the various contesting parties, get the new transitional Government into Kinshasa and get Uganda out of the Congo. Then we will be able to help people restore the country. We are prioritising and working on that. We need political progress to stop the abuse of people.