Democratic Republic of the Congo

HC Deb 08 September 2003 vol 410 c67W

Jeremy Corbyn

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what monitoring of the activities of international forces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is undertaken by the UK; and if he will make a statement. [127394]

Mr. Mullin

The UK monitors the activities of both MONUC (the UN Organisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)) and the EU-led Interim Emergency Multinational Force (IEMF) in Bunia (north-eastern DRC), which is now ending its operations. We have received reports from the UN Secretary General and from the Operation Commander of the IEMF (who reports to the EU's Political and Security Committee in Brussels).

The present peace agreements require the withdrawal from DRC of the forces of other foreign governments. Rwanda and Uganda maintain that they have withdrawn all their troops. We continue to monitor the situation closely.