HC Deb 18 June 2002 vol 387 cc261-2W
Dr. Tonge

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much assistance the UK Government provided for the Rwandan Government on a bilateral basis in(a) 2000–01 and (b) 2001–02. [61866]

Clare Short

The UK Government provided the following bilateral assistance to the Government of Rwanda during 2000–01 and 2001–02:

2000–01—£32.8 million (of which £25.4 million was budgetary aid, and the remainder in project aid, technical co-operation and other grants);

2001–02—£26.9 million1 (of which £18 million was budgetary aid). 1This figure is provisional. Final disbursement figures will be available in November 2002 when Statistics on International Development is published.

Dr. Tonge

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations she has made to the Government of Rwanda regarding the presence of Rwandan soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo. [61868]

Clare Short

We are in regular contact with the Government of Rwanda on all aspects of its policies in the Great Lakes region, including the presence of its soldiers in the DRC. The international community has recognised, in numerous Security Council resolutions and in the Lusaka Peace Agreements, that Rwanda has legitimate security concerns that have led to its military presence in the DRC. We are working actively as part of the international community to work for full implementation of the Lusaka Peace agreement, which will ensure that legitimate security concerns are addressed so that Rwanda can safely withdraw its forces from the DRC at the earliest possible date.

Forward to