DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

Early day motion 1315, tabled 3 June 2003 by Caroline Spelman (Conservative). Signed by 56 members.

That this House condemns the recent violence seen in the Democratic Republic of Congo, particularly in the Ituri region; expresses extreme concern about the humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo; notes that Kofi Annan recently warned of massive killings of civilians; further notes that Carla del Ponte, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, described the situation as potentially genocidal; highlights the fact that since 1998, the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo has claimed up to four million lives; supports the recent deployment of British troops; in view of the present demands on British forces urges the Government to ask other governments to help to build a sufficient multi-national peace-keeping force; and calls for greater diplomatic and political engagement by the British Government to avert a potential genocide in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Signatures by party: Labour 23, Liberal Democrat 14, Conservative 11, UUP 3, Plaid Cymru 2, Scottish National Party 2, Labour/Co-operative 1.