Tag: Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2014-06-04.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the long-term impact of the conflict in the Central African Republic on education there, particularly of girls, on higher education, and on the use of schools for military purposes.

Baroness Northover

The ongoing violence in the Central African Republic (CAR) continues to take a distressing toll on the civilian population, compounding an already acute humanitarian crisis. The UN estimates that 557,000 people have been displaced within CAR, with 483,000 estimated to have fled the country, of whom 358,000 are refugees in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad, Cameroon, Republic of Congo and South Sudan.

Prior to the crisis, CAR was host to over 15,000 refugees from DRC and Sudan; however the deteriorating security situation has led to the voluntary repatriation of many refugees with support from UNHCR. In April over 6,000 Congolese refugees were voluntarily repatriated to Equateur province in DRC – a further sign of the gravity of the situation in CAR.

The crisis is having a marked impact on education provision, with the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimating that 400,000 vulnerable children are in need of emergency access to education. Many schools outside the capital have been closed since the onset of the crisis and whilst some schools in Bangui have reopened, work on rebuilding educational institutions as well as infrastructure is needed. The Multi-Cluster Initial Rapid Assessment in January 2014 placed the level of functioning schools at 4%, with many looted and occupied by displaced people, but did not report military use of schools. The interruption of education affects both girls and boys.

The most important need continues to be security, and the UK has worked closely with international partners, including the African Union (AU), to support efforts to bring stability to the country. We have provided £2m in non-lethal support to the UN-mandated AU force, MISCA, which despite serious challenges, has worked well with the French Operation Sangaris to bring some security to the country. We will continue to work with the AU and others as we approach the handover to the UN Peace Keeping Operation, MINUSCA, in September 2014, and as preparations are made for elections, currently scheduled for 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2014-06-04.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what engagement they have had with the African Union on efforts to address the situation in the Central African Republic.

Baroness Northover

The ongoing violence in the Central African Republic (CAR) continues to take a distressing toll on the civilian population, compounding an already acute humanitarian crisis. The UN estimates that 557,000 people have been displaced within CAR, with 483,000 estimated to have fled the country, of whom 358,000 are refugees in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad, Cameroon, Republic of Congo and South Sudan.

Prior to the crisis, CAR was host to over 15,000 refugees from DRC and Sudan; however the deteriorating security situation has led to the voluntary repatriation of many refugees with support from UNHCR. In April over 6,000 Congolese refugees were voluntarily repatriated to Equateur province in DRC – a further sign of the gravity of the situation in CAR.

The crisis is having a marked impact on education provision, with the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimating that 400,000 vulnerable children are in need of emergency access to education. Many schools outside the capital have been closed since the onset of the crisis and whilst some schools in Bangui have reopened, work on rebuilding educational institutions as well as infrastructure is needed. The Multi-Cluster Initial Rapid Assessment in January 2014 placed the level of functioning schools at 4%, with many looted and occupied by displaced people, but did not report military use of schools. The interruption of education affects both girls and boys.

The most important need continues to be security, and the UK has worked closely with international partners, including the African Union (AU), to support efforts to bring stability to the country. We have provided £2m in non-lethal support to the UN-mandated AU force, MISCA, which despite serious challenges, has worked well with the French Operation Sangaris to bring some security to the country. We will continue to work with the AU and others as we approach the handover to the UN Peace Keeping Operation, MINUSCA, in September 2014, and as preparations are made for elections, currently scheduled for 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2014-06-04.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what efforts are being made to ensure that in South Sudan there is full co-operation with investigations into violations of human rights and humanitarian law.

Baroness Warsi

The UK remains deeply concerned by the scale of human rights violations and abuses in South Sudan since the start of the conflict in December. We have consistently stressed to all parties in the conflict the importance of thorough investigation into atrocities and the key role that accountability will play in the reconciliation and peace building process. We welcome the timely reporting of the South Sudan Human Rights Commission and the UN Human Rights division and support the African Union Commission of Inquiry on South Sudan in their investigations into the events of the last six months. My Hon Friend, the Member for Boston and Skegness (Mark Simmonds MP), the Minister for Africa, along with senior officials, has emphasised to South Sudanese Ministers the importance of full cooperation with these investigations. We will also pursue, during the 26th session of the Human Rights Council (HRC) this month, the creation of a formal HRC mandate to strengthen and enhance efforts in this area.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2014-06-04.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much has been budgeted for covering the cost of the June 2014 Summit which will meet to deliberate on sexual violence in conflict by (1) the Department for International Development, (2) the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, (3) the Ministry of Defence, and (4) the Home Office.

Baroness Warsi

In accordance with our usual practice we will publish the final cost once it has been calculated post-Summit. Other departments are not covering the cost of the summit.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2014-06-04.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the reports that Joseph Kony and senior members of the Lords Resistance Army are hiding in a Sudanese-controlled area of a disputed enclave bordering the Central African Republic.

Baroness Warsi

We have not been able to assess the veracity of reports that Joseph Kony and senior members of the Lords Resistance Army are hiding in a Sudanese-controlled area of a disputed enclave bordering the Central African Republic. However, we are aware of reports that local authorities in south-eastern Central African Republic (CAR) have been in contact with a contingent of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) who have expressed an interest in surrendering.

The British Government condemns in the strongest possible terms the atrocities carried out by the LRA. Although much reduced in numbers, the LRA remains an unprincipled, violent threat to civilians in the heart of Africa. The UK has consistently promoted a co-ordinated regional and international approach to defeating the LRA. We continue to encourage the UN and African Union to implement their counter-LRA strategies in full and bring Kony to justice.