Tag: The Lord Bishop of Durham

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Durham on 2016-02-03.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have deployed, or intend to deploy, experts from the UK preventing sexual violence in conflict initiative team to help support local responses in Burundi to conflict-related sexual violence.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We take the allegations of sexual violence in Burundi very seriously. The UK has been at the forefront of supporting the UN’s efforts to encourage an end to violence and human rights abuses in the country. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge), has raised the subject with the Government of Burundi, including with the Burundian Foreign Minister at the African Union Summit in January. While we have not deployed any experts from the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative, Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials will explore the possibility of supporting non-governmental organisations already present and active in Burundi when the allegations first came to our attention.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Durham on 2016-02-03.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will consider re-opening the Department for International Development’s Office in Burundi.

Baroness Verma

In 2012, as part of its global review of bilateral programmes, DFID decided to focus its work in Burundi on the country’s integration into the East African Community (EAC) as the single most important factor for promoting economic growth. DFID has continued to provide support to Burundi, mainly through Trade Mark East Africa (TMEA), a specialist agency which promotes trade growth in East Africa. DFID has contributed £16.5 million to TMEA for Burundi in the period 2010-2016. Burundi also receives contributions through multilateral organisations and funds. For example, through the Global Poverty Action Fund, we have also provided £500,000 for the provision of sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation for 139,000 people in Bujumbura Rural Province. DFID also provides central funding to UK NGOs, some of which work with local partners in Burundi.

Given the situation in Burundi, we are now looking to provide support in the form of secondments to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) for needs assessment, information management, coordination and advocacy. Over 238,000 Burundians have become refugees since April 2015. The majority of those who have fled Burundi are concentrated in Tanzania and Rwanda, for which DFID has provided £18.15 million since April 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Durham on 2016-02-03.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that those refugees from Burundi now living in camps in neighbouring countries do not become politicised and radicalised.

Baroness Verma

We are aware of allegations of recruitment into armed groups. We continue to emphasise to the Government of Rwanda and UNHCR the importance of maintaining the civilian nature of refugee camps, and of supporting a political solution in Burundi. We are addressing the issue of potential radicalisation by supporting protection work in the refugee camps, in particular Mahama Camp in Rwanda, focusing particularly on vulnerable children and youth. This includes funding two additional UNHCR protection officers to be based in Mahama camp, the creation of more child and youth-friendly spaces, and increased provision of psycho-social support and case management services.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Durham on 2016-02-03.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to engage the African Union and the East African Community in efforts to stabilise the situation in Burundi.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

In the margins of the African Union (AU) Summit, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge), met with the Chair of the AU Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the AU’s Peace and Security Commissioner Smail Chergui and a number of African Foreign Ministers. We are exploring what more we can do to support the AU’s leadership, and have intensified our efforts at the UN and with our EU partners to halt the violence.

The UK strongly supports the East African Community-led dialogue and sees it as crucial in finding a solution to stabilising the situation. The parties met for the first time on 28 December and the second round of talks is scheduled for 16 February. Alongside our international partners we continue to press them to engage.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Durham on 2016-09-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what diplomatic and financial assistance they are providing to the governments of Rwanda and Burundi to establish confidence-building measures that improve relations between those governments.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The UK remains deeply concerned about the ongoing political crisis in Burundi. The sharp deterioration in Burundi’s relationships with the region, including Rwanda, is particularly worrying. The recent restrictions imposed by Burundi on cross-border trade will further exacerbate the serious negative economic impact of the crisis on the lives of Rwandans and Burundians.

The UK is supporting a range of efforts to generate dialogue and ease tension in the region. We have worked with EU and UN Security Council partners to deliver strong and coherent international messaging to the government of Burundi. We have imposed EU sanctions on key individuals responsible for the violence; suspended direct EU aid to the government; and delivered robust strong Security Council Resolutions including July’s UNSCR 2303.

The former Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge), visited Rwanda and Burundi in December 2015 and urged all parties to act responsibly to reduce violence. The UK Special Envoy to the Great Lakes, Danae Dholakia, visits the region regularly to reinforce these messages. We have been clear in all our public and private dialogue with Rwanda on the need for neighbours to play a stabilising role in Burundi. The UK is also providing £6.85 million of DFID funding to support Burundian refugees in Rwanda.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Durham on 2016-09-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what financial and diplomatic assistance they are providing to the East African Community and the UN to support them in their efforts to reduce existing tensions between the governments of Burundi and Rwanda.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The East African Community (EAC) has a central role to play in resolving the crisis in Burundi and mediating dialogue between Burundi and its neighbours. We strongly support the EAC mediation process, led by former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa. We have provided extensive diplomatic support to the process through lobbying of regional leaders and attendance by our Special Envoy to the Great Lakes at meetings of the dialogue in May and July in Arusha, Tanzania.

Through our UN Security Council Membership we have worked with partners to ensure that EAC efforts are fully coordinated with, and supported by, the United Nations. In January 2016 our Ambassador to the United Nations participated in a Security Council visit to Burundi. In July the Security Council passed Resolution 2303 which welcomed the EAC’s efforts so far and called for all parties in the region to participate fully with the process.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Durham on 2016-09-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what contingency plans are in place to provide humanitarian aid in the event of a poor harvest in Burundi.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The UK Government is very concerned by the ongoing political unrest in Burundi and its humanitarian consequences. Burundi had high levels of food insecurity before the political crisis. However, the increase in market prices, the impact of late and heavy El-Nino rains, and the loss of livelihoods could result in further food insecurity and malnutrition.

DFID Ministers have already committed £3 million for humanitarian preparedness and early response within Burundi. We have further set aside contingency funds of up to £4 million should the situation deteriorate. DFID will monitor the humanitarian and food security situation and ensure appropriate support is provided if the situation warrants it.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Durham on 2016-09-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assistance they are providing to the government of Rwanda to tackle levels of inequality there.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

DFID supports various programmes that tackle economic and social inequalities in Rwanda. Our programmes on social protection, education and agriculture all support the Government of Rwanda to address inequality and focus on the needs and rights of the poorest and most excluded people. In addition to DFID’s direct support to Government programmes, we also work with the private sector and other partners to promote inclusive economic growth that promotes social cohesion and reduces economic inequalities, creating decent and sustainable jobs for all. We also work with non-governmental organisations and civil society to address economic, social and gender inequalities. We have three dedicated programmes working on gender and women and girls’ empowerment, focusing on Gender Based Violence Prevention, the empowerment of adolescent girls, and addressing harmful social and gender norms.