Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support his Department is providing for minority groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The UK is concerned about the protection and safety of all communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), including minority groups. We continue to urge the DRC Government and the UN to work together to protect civilians from ongoing violence and address the root causes of conflict in the east. I [Mr Duddridge] discussed the importance of this with President Tshisekedi during my visit to DRC in November 2020 and again during a telephone call in March this year.

We are committed to ensuring the UN peacekeeping mission (MONUSCO) has a mandate focused on the protection of civilians, and that supporting vulnerable communities remains central to the UN's work in DRC. In 2020/21 we provided approximately £52 million and three military staff officers to support MONUSCO. Our £70 million peace and stability programme is providing access to income-generation opportunities in conflict-affected communities, helping secure land access and supporting inclusive dialogue to address the drivers of conflict. Since 2017, the UK's humanitarian programme has helped over three million people with cash, emergency nutrition, water and healthcare. All UK-funded humanitarian aid is distributed on the basis of need to ensure that the most vulnerable are reached.