Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to keep the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the top of the international agenda; whether they plan to raise it at the UN Security Council and with the African Union; and what steps they are taking to assist with all measures that seek to end the violence in that country.

The British Government released statements on 3 January and 23 January, following the deaths of protestors on 31 December 2017 and 21 January 2018, calling on the government to investigate and hold accountable security force members who fired on civilians or ordered the use of lethal force. The UK continues to pressure the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) government to open political space and allow peaceful demonstrations.

The British Government, alongside regional and international partners, will continue to press the DRC authorities to adhere to their constitutional commitments and hold elections by 23 December 2018. In March the UN Security Council will discuss the Secretary General's six-monthly report and negotiations to renew the mandate for the UN Organisation and Stabilisation Mission in DRC (MONUSCO). The UK Special Envoy to the African Great Lakes will visit the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa on 26 and 27 December to discuss the Peace Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of Congo and the region.