Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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106. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to recent protests in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, that the protests are in opposition to proposed legal reform to keep President Joseph Kabila in power, that the security services are reported to have killed more than 40 political protesters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4014/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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The situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo involves one of the most complex and enduring humanitarian crises in the world. This is the result of decades of political and economic mismanagement, exacerbated by difficult relations with neighbouring countries, ongoing violence in the Great Lakes region and chronic underdevelopment.

I share the strong international concern at the violence during demonstrations in Kinshasa last week. Demonstrators were protesting against proposed changes to the electoral law, which many believed would permit President Joseph Kabila to stay in office beyond his mandated two-term limit. Reports indicate that some 36 people, including one police officer, were killed during the demonstrations in Kinshasa. It is reported that the security forces were responsible for the deaths of at least 21 people. Additionally, on 22 January, at least four people were killed during demonstrations in the eastern city of Goma.

On 17 January, the Congolese National Assembly had adopted modifications to the electoral law that would require the holding of a national census ahead of the next election, a step that could significantly delay presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for 2016. On 23 January, the Congolese Senate adopted an amended version of the law, clarifying that the holding of elections would not be conditional on a census being completed and that the constitution’s electoral timeframe would be respected. If signed into law, the amended law would address a main concern of the protesters.

I attended the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels on 19 January, just as the protests in the Democratic Republic of the Congo were taking place. We adopted Conclusions on the situation, which, while primarily addressing the ongoing civil conflict, also stressed the need for political action that will also build a long-term basis for stability. Key to this is the organisation of credible and free elections.

The violence has been widely condemned internationally, including by the Secretary General of the United Nations, who additionally called on all key stakeholders to resume political dialogue and ensure that issues relating to the elections are discussed in an inclusive and peaceful fashion in the appropriate forum. Ireland fully supports this call.

Ireland’s long engagement with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which dates back to its independence in 1960, continues today and we are a significant humanitarian donor in the region. Since 2009, through Irish Aid, the Government has provided over €44 million in humanitarian assistance for the people of the country, including through the work of the former UN Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region, Mary Robinson. We are continuing to monitor developments closely.