December 14, 2013 – The Honourable Deepak Obhrai, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and for International Human Rights, today issued the following statement:
“Canada welcomes the recent conclusion of the Kampala Dialogue between the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the M23 armed rebel group. We hope that this will result in a successful disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process, which will be key to durable peace in the eastern DRC.
“Underlying tensions in the eastern DRC must be addressed to bring peace to all Congolese, and an end to ethnic divisions, land disputes, conflict financing through the trafficking of minerals, and local political struggles. We remain deeply concerned by the lack of security in the region, the proliferation of local armed groups, as well as the grave humanitarian situation still prevalent in North and South Kivu.
“Canada is horrified by the widespread use of sexual violence as a weapon in this conflict, and calls on all parties to ensure that women are included as key interlocutors in its resolution. Survivors will play an important role in achieving the justice and security needed to prevent more women and girls from falling victim to these heinous crimes.
“We encourage the Congolese Armed Forces and the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC to pursue efforts to combat other armed groups that pose a threat to peace, security and stability in the eastern DRC.”
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