CONFLICT IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

That this House notes with utmost concern the escalation of the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo; further notes that this conflict has now cost an estimated 5.4 million lives, making it the most deadly conflict since World War II; is concerned by recent reports received by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees that camps north of the city Goma, which were home to 50,000 refugees, have been forcibly emptied, looted and torched; is alarmed that aid agencies are being forced from the country because of concerns for their safety; and urgently calls on the Government to take a leading role in achieving a peaceful and lasting settlement to this conflict.