Asked by: Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party - Argyll and Bute)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle the abduction of children by terrorists in Mozambique.
Answered by James Duddridge
The UK is deeply concerned by the deteriorating security situation in Mozambique, including abductions of children, and the increasing number of attacks by groups with links to Islamic extremism. At the UN Security Council High-Level Debate on Children in Armed Conflict on 28 June, the UK highlighted and condemned recent reports of children being attacked, kidnapped and forcibly recruited in Cabo Delgado. I also made clear publicly on 26 and 28 March, in the wake of deadly attacks in Cabo Delgado, that we are appalled by such acts and stand with the people of Mozambique. Lord Ahmad, the UK's Minister of State for Human Rights, spoke to Mozambican Foreign Minister Macamo on 11 March and reaffirmed UK support to help Mozambique fight terrorism.
We are working with the Government of Mozambique to address the root drivers of conflict and instability, including by providing targeted assistance under the framework of a Defence Memorandum of Understanding. The UK also has a regular high-level dialogue with the Government of Mozambique and international partners such as UNICEF about humanitarian and other crises, including the situation in Cabo Delgado. UK Aid has provided £20m of support in Cabo Delgado through UN agencies, ensuring access to food, shelter, water, sanitation and basic health.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Mozambique and tensions between that country's opposition party's militia and state security forces.
Answered by Lord Hammond of Runnymede
There has been an increase in tension in Mozambique, including continuing clashes between state security forces and the opposition militia in the central provinces. We are also concerned by incidents of intimidation, kidnapping and assassinations, which may be politically motivated. We continue to urge both the government and opposition to address these tensions through dialogue and peaceful means. This is all the more important against a difficult macroeconomic context that is further affected by drought in central and southern provinces and the revelation this month of undisclosed lending, which puts an already weak economy at risk.