Africa: Armed Conflict
Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Written answers and statements, 4 November 2009
David Drew (Stroud, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the government of (a) Sudan, (b) South Sudan, (c) Uganda and (d) Democratic Republic of Congo on the current level of activity of the Lords Resistance Army.
Chris Bryant (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Foreign and Commonwealth Office; Rhondda, Labour)
The UK regularly discusses Lords Resistance Army (LRA) activity with the government of Uganda and stresses the importance of continued regional co-operation to deal with the threat and civilian protection from LRA attacks. At the recent UN General Assembly Ministerial week, my hon. Friend the Minister of State (Mr. Lewis), discussed the LRA with Ugandan Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa.
Our posts in Kampala, Juba, Khartoum, and Kinshasa continue to monitor the situation closely, and have raised the issue with other interested parties, including the UN and host governments.
In addition, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's Special Representative on Conflict Resolution Mechanisms, Jack McConnell MSP, discussed LRA activity during his recent visit to Goma, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.