Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 404: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will seek clarification and assurances on the security of the Democratic Republic of Congo opposition party leader, Mr. Etienne Tshisekedi amid reports that his residence has been surrounded by Government backed forces and that his life may be under threat; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6158/07]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Security and governance issues remain a serious concern in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but there have been some encouraging developments recently. The generally peaceful and orderly conduct of the 2006 Presidential and Parliamentary elections "the first democratic elections in more than forty years" was a tribute to the strong desire of the Congolese people for an end to conflict and a return to democracy. Major challenges remain if the transition process is to be successfully completed. The elections themselves have left divisions which will need to be healed through an inclusive approach to opposition concerns. In December 2006, the European Council expressed the EU's intention to continue its support to the Congolese authorities in tackling security sector reform, including through the ongoing work of the EUPOL Kinshasa police mission and EUSC RD Congo civilian mission.

Ireland does not have a resident diplomatic mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Embassy of Ireland in Pretoria, which is responsible for Ireland's relations with the Democratic Republic of Congo, has been in contact with EU diplomats, and through them the UN mission (MONUC) and the EU police mission (EUPOL Kinshasa) in DR Congo, in recent days to enquire into the well-being of the opposition party leader Étienne Tshisekedi.

The Embassy has not been advised through these contacts of any specific threat against Mr. Tshisekedi. We understand that there is a permanent presence of CONADER, the Government's army demobilisation agency, in the neighbourhood of Mr. Tshisekedi's house, which would inevitably lead to a certain military presence in the area. We have also received reports that on 15 February 2007, in celebration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of Mr. Tshisekedi's Party, the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), there was a small gathering of party members outside the gate of his residence, but that the atmosphere was not threatening. However, given that the security situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo has not yet fully stabilised following the transition period, the Embassy of Ireland in Pretoria will continue to monitor the situation.

Ireland helped to fund the Presidential and Parliamentary elections in Democratic Republic of Congo in 2006, and has also given financial support to the demobilisation and reintegration process in the wider Great Lakes region. Ireland is a significant humanitarian donor to the DRC. Already in 2007, Ireland has committed €7 million in humanitarian aid funding to the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Ireland's total support to the country since 2004 totals over €23 million.