§ Lord Alton of Liverpoolasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their assessment of the current situation in the eastern province of the Democratic Republic of Congo; what action they are taking to defuse 3WA tensions between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda; and whether they intend to encourage both governments to exchange ambassadors and to normalise diplomatic relations. [HL387]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanThe eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continues to be unstable. There have recently been outbreaks of violence in eastern DRC, as has happened on several occasions since the end of the war in the DRC.
We have urged Rwanda to play a constructive role in supporting the peace process in the region, including respecting the DRC's territorial integrity. We have pressed the DRC Transitional Government to address Rwanda's security concerns by dealing swiftly with the problem of the ex-Forces Armées Rwandaises/Interahamwe.
We will continue to encourage the DRC and Rwanda to abide by the principles of the good neighbourly pact they signed in September 2003 and to normalise diplomatic relations.