Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their latest assessment of the human rights situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is a country of concern in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Human Rights and Democracy Report 2013. We are reviewing its inclusion in the 2014 Report.

We are concerned by continued human rights abuses by all parties to the conflict in the eastern DRC. Armed rebel groups commit summary executions and rapes, and are responsible for the forced recruitment of children. The Congolese army and police have also been accused of human rights violations, including killings, rapes and ill treatment of detainees. We believe that the best way to improve the human rights situation in the DRC is through continued work to stabilise the region, reduce conflict and ensure that there is no culture of impunity in the aftermath of conflict.

We are working with the Government of the DRC to ensure that the rule of law is implemented fully and that there is no impunity for human rights abusers.