Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of Rwanda in the exploitation and forcible extraction of natural resources, such as coltan, gold and diamonds, and other precious minerals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Illicit mining remains a problem in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and supports the models of armed groups, exacerbating the conflict and its humanitarian consequences. We are determined to work with partners to find solutions, particularly given the increasing global reliance on the DRC's critical minerals for the green energy transition. The UK supports the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, which aims to improve transparency and governance in the mining sector.