Annex: The Committee's Visit Programme
in Rwanda, DRC and Burundi
The Committee visited Rwanda, DRC and Burundi from
15 to 24 June 2011.
Members participating: Malcolm Bruce (Chair), Hugh
Bayley, Richard Burden, Sam Gyimah, Richard Harrington, Pauline
Latham, Jeremy Lefroy, Michael McCann, Anas Sarwar, Chris White
Accompanied by: Mick Hillyard (Second Clerk); Anna
Dickson (Committee Specialist)
The Committee divided into two groups for parts of
the visit.
Rwanda
Kigali
Thursday 16 June
Meeting with Minister of Finance, Hon John Rwandgombwa
and Minister of Infrastructure, Hon Albert Nsengiyumva
Briefing on human rights in Rwanda by Civil Society
Organisations
Meeting with other donors on Rwanda:
Group 1:
- The United States
- European Union
- World Bank
- African Development Bank
- United Nations Development Programme
Group 2:
- Swedish International Development
Agency (Burundi group)
Field Visits to
- A community supported by DFID through the Vision
Umurenge Programme (VUP) for support to the extreme poor
- A genocide survivors health centre and income-generating
activities run by Survivors Fund UK (SURF) and Solace Ministries
Friday 17 June
Field Visits to
- DFID's Land Tenure Regularisation Programme
- PPIMA (Support to Civil Society Capacity Building
and Engagement in Public Policy Information, Monitoring and Advocacy)
programme of support to civil society
Briefing on Trade Mark East Africa
The Committee travelled by road to the DRC
Democratic Republic of Congo
Saturday 18 June
Goma
Briefing with HMG on the situation in eastern DRC
Meeting with:
- World Food Programme (WFP)
- United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
- The United Nations Office for the Coordination
of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA)
- United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
- United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR)
Introductory call on the Governor of North Kivu
Briefing with United Nations Organization Stabilization
Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO)
Meeting with NGO Partners:
- International Alert
- Oxfam
- Save the Children
- Pole Institute
- Christian Aid
- International Rescue Committee
- International Committee of the Red Cross
Group 1:
Field Visit with ICRC to:
- Water treatment plant
- Children's reunification centre
Group 2:
Field visits with UNICEF to:
- UNICEF Nutrition Centre
- Heal Africa
- Voter Registration Centre
- Water Treatment Plant
Sunday 19 June
The Committee travelled by boat from Goma to Bukavu
Call on the Governor of South Kivu
Meeting with DFID partners: IRC, UNICEF
Monday 20 June
Group 1:
Field visit on the Shabunda road:
- Travel on Burhale-Shabunda
road, and discuss construction and maintenance challenges.
- Meet community members and road construction
teams
- Meet with local community and Village Development
Committee
- Visit local clinic, school and water points
Group 2:
Field Visit on Miti Hombo Road :
- Discussion on road construction
and maintenance
- Meet road construction team and supervisor
- Travel on Miti-Hombo road with MONUSCO escort
- Visit to a village water and sanitation project
(Village Assaini) and meet community members
Tuesday 21 June
Bukavu
International Rescue Committee briefing on health,
maternal care and violence against women
Meeting with South Kivu Parliamentary Oversight Committee
for Security and Justice
The Committee travelled to Bujumbura, Burundi
by road
Meeting with local civil society representatives
and journalists:
- Evariste Ngoyagoye, Catholic
Archbishop of Burundi
- Onesphore Nduwayo, Director, OAG
- Antoine Kaburahe, Editor of Iwacu, main weekly
newspaper
- Cassien Ndikuryo, Help Channel
- Isidore Rufyikiri, Head of Burundi Bar Association
Wednesday 22 June
Briefing with DFID
Meeting with:
- Gervais Rufyikiri, Second Vice President
The Committee travelled to the Shambo Community
in Karuzi Province and stayed with local families*
Thursday 23 June
Bujumbura
Meeting with:
- EU Delegation
- USAID
- Special Representative of the UN Secretary General
- French Ambassador
- German Ambassador
- Dutch Ambassador
- Swiss Political Counsellor
- IMF Country Representative
- World Bank Country Manager
- Trade Mark East Africa
- Belgian Embassy official
Meeting with:
- Refugee Education Trust
- CARE
- CRS (NZ OKIRA)
- Avocats Sans Frontieres
- Benevolencija
- ActionAid
- Christian Aid
Meeting with:
- Dr Yves Sahinguvu, ex-1st Vice President
* Those Members who did not travel to Shombo held
meetings with:
- Stéphane de Loecker, EU Ambassador to
Burundi
- Burundi Revenue Authority
- Karen Landgren, Special Representative of the
UN Secretary General
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