Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

132. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will set out his views on the escalating security crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo; the reason for the withdrawal after a 25-year presence of UN Peacekeepers, MONUSCO, from the DRC; if adequate protection will remain in place for the civilian population of the region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11214/24]

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has experienced periodic conflict over many decades, with increasing insecurity and violence in eastern DRC. Elections were held in December 2023, in the context of a ceasefire that largely held, and President Félix Tshisekedi was re-elected. However, tensions between the DRC and Rwanda have increased since then and remain high.

Ireland and our EU partners have expressed serious concern at these developments, encluding in an EU statement on 4 March. The statement underlined our extreme concern at the escalation of violence in the east of the DRC and the worsening of the humanitarian situation, exposing millions of people to human rights abuses including displacement, deprivation, and gender based violence. Earlier Ireland worked with our EU partners on the development of a new EU strategy for the wider Great Lakes region, which was adopted in 2023, with a particular focus on the eastern provinces of the DRC.

We fully support the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all countries in the region and condemn any support to local or foreign armed groups. Ireland has also emphasised the importance of the engagement of national and regional organisations in promoting peace and stability.

The UN Security Council in December 2023 extended for one year the mandate of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) and set out a comprehensive disengagement plan that includes the gradual handover of responsibility to the DRC government, while maintaining the Mission’s key responsibility to protect civilians during its gradual withdrawal. In August 2022, following the receipt of military advice, the Minister for Defence took the decision to withdraw the three Irish Defence Forces personnel serving with MONUSCO.

27 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in DRC, with 6.9 million people internally displaced, while over a million refugees from the DRC are in neighbouring countries. The DRC itself hosts more than half a million refugees.

Ireland directly provided over €8 million in assistance to DRC in 2023. Over €4.6 million was allocated to long-term development and humanitarian programmes under Ireland’s Civil Society Partnership Programme, with five partners (Christian Aid Ireland, Concern Worldwide, Oxfam Ireland, Trócaire and World Vision Ireland) operating in DRC. In addition, we provided €3.8 million to UNICEF to address child malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa, earmarked for DRC.