The Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid at the Federal Foreign Office, Christoph Strässer, is travelling to South Sudan, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 22 to 30 April.

In South Sudan he will visit a camp for internally displaced persons (IDP camp) and meet the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for UNMISS, Toby Lanzer, who is responsible for coordinating humanitarian assistance and development aid. As well as holding talks with high-ranking representatives of the South Sudanese government, Christoph Strässer will also meet the Chair of the South Sudan Human Rights Commission as well as representatives of NGOs in the country and German humanitarian NGOs to discuss the human rights and humanitarian situation there.

The talks in Uganda will centre on the recently adopted Anti-Homosexuality Bill. The Human Rights Commissioner will speak to Ugandan LGBTI activitists, the Uganda Human Rights Commission and representatives of German foundations and NGOs about the human rights situation and specifically the status of LGBTI persons in Uganda. Meetings at the foreign ministry and with a member of parliament are also planned.

The Human Rights Commissioner will then travel to eastern Congo and to Kinshasa. Here, too, the humanitarian situation, especially in eastern Congo, will be the focus of attention. The programme includes talks with Martin Kobler, Head of MONUSCO, and German NGOs working in the field of humanitarian assistance. Christoph Strässer will also visit refugee camps and a hospital for victims of sexual violence. In Kinshasa the Commissioner will hold talks with government representatives, human rights defenders and members of parliament.