The Honourable Stéphane Dion, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, today issued the following statement:

“Canada calls on the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to intensify its efforts to create the climate of trust necessary to successfully implement the national dialogue that began last week and that the government itself proposed as a necessary step to relaunch the electoral process.

“Despite the launch of the national dialogue, Canada is concerned by the ongoing political impasse in the DRC, by the country’s noticeably shrinking democratic space and by regular reports of serious human rights violations.

“Canadian development funding that supports Congolese civic education and, through the United Nations Development Programme, strengthens the technical capacity of the independent national electoral commission will help to bring about a credible, transparent, electoral process.

“A democratic, inclusive state that demonstrates good governance has the best chance of ensuring the prosperity of its citizens.

“Canada hopes that the facilitation process led by the African Union and supported by a group representing the international community will lead to a general consensus that will help strengthen democracy in the DRC.”