A Federal Foreign Office Spokesperson today (12 April) issued the following statement on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo:

Developments in the humanitarian situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo – the increasing violence in many parts of the country, the doubling of the number of internally displaced persons within just a year, the fact that more than 13 million people are suffering humanitarian distress – are causing us great concern.

It is important, therefore, that the humanitarian donor conference convened by the United Nations does take place in Geneva tomorrow (13 April). The stricken population in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is in urgent need of help. The Federal Government will engage both in humanitarian assistance and in political efforts with its international partners to give the people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo the prospect of more peaceful and stable development.

In the face of the massive humanitarian emergency in the country, we call on the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to do everything in its power to support the humanitarian aid workers.

The elections scheduled for 23 December can change things for the better in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. But the Government must now live up to its responsibility to ensure that these elections do take place – and that they are both fair and credible and involve all political actors wishing to participate. The country’s constitution, UN Security Council Resolution 2049 and the political transition agreement of 31 December 2016 all point the way forward here.