News story

Minister for Africa calls for international condemnation of support for militia groups in eastern DRC

The Minister for Africa, Mark Simmonds MP, attended the UN High Level Meeting on the Great Lakes yesterday which aimed to focus attention on the instability in the region, and encourage a consensus on the way forward.

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

The Minister for Africa, Mark Simmonds MP, attended the UN High Level Meeting on the Great Lakes yesterday. The meeting aimed to focus attention on the instability in the region, and encourage a consensus on the way forward. The meeting was chaired by the Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon.

Speaking shortly after the meeting, the Minister said:

“It is vital that the international community focuses on building a lasting peace in a region blighted by a cycle of conflict and violence. The M23 must immediately cease their activities, external support for the M23 militia must stop, and those who commit human rights abuses must be brought to justice.”

“The current conflict has displaced over 300,000 people. The UK will continue its support to humanitarian efforts and I strongly urge others to do the same.”

“I welcome leadership provided by regional countries, particularly the efforts of the International Conference on the Great Lakes (ICGLR), MONUSCO and other international partners towards resolving the current crisis. I encourage them to continue their work and to take necessary action to assure long term stability in eastern DRC. The international community must speak with one voice.”

Search the news archive

Published 28 September 2012