P6_TA(2006)0111

Criteria for EU peace enforcement operations, especially in the Democratic Republic of Congo

European Parliament resolution on the criteria for EU peace enforcement operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the "responsibility to protect" enshrined in the Outcome Document of the 2005 UN World Summit adopted in New York on 16 September 2005,

- having regard to the fundamental importance of stability in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for the stability of the whole of central Africa and the Great Lakes region,

- having regard to the fact that the DRC is struggling to recover from a devastating conflict that has caused over 4 million deaths,

- having regard to the delicate transitional phase of the DRC, involving the difficult task of setting up democratic institutions,

- having regard to the presence of 17000 UN peacekeeping troops in the DRC, with the mission of stabilising the country,

- having regard to the EU's involvement in maintaining the stability of the DRC, through the two ongoing European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) missions: the EU advisory and assistance mission for DRC security reform ("EUSEC DR Congo") and the EU Police Mission in Kinshasa ("EUPOL Kinshasa"),

- having regard to the encouraging results of the constitutional referendum in December 2005,

- having regard to the elections planned for the DRC in June 2006,

- having regard to the UN's request for assistance during the period of the elections in the DRC,

- having regard to Rule 103(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas the EU has only a limited number of deployable troops at its disposal, and its priorities should be maintaining peace and stability in the Balkans and in the Union's own immediate geographical neighbourhood,

B. having regard, however to the UN's request and to the fact that it is an overarching goal of the EU and its Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and European Security Strategy (ESS) to strengthen the UN as a framework for effective multilateralism, as outlined in the ESS,

1. Considers that the following conditions must be fulfilled for this complex and potentially risky engagement of troops under the command of the EU:

- such an operation should have a strong and clear mandate that will refer exclusively to the security of the presidential and parliamentary elections in 2006,

- the military operation would have to be limited in time to the period of the elections. There has to be a clear strategy on how to transfer the tasks, after the expiration of the operation's mandate, to the UN and/or the Congolese police and military,

- security in the country, especially in the Katanga region and in the border region with Rwanda, should remain under the responsibility of the UN; the geographical scope of the EU mandate must be determined in accordance with the number of available troops, their security requirements and the operational requirements of the mission,

- under no circumstances should the military operation consist of troops from only one Member State. The European character of the operation should be expressed in the participation of several Member States,

- an intervention from the EU could only take place at the formal request of the Congolese interim government,

- the deployment of troops under the command of the EU would have a double task: deterring possible trouble-makers and encouraging the DRC's citizens to exercise their right to vote. The European operation must therefore be of an adequate and credible size,

- in order to achieve these goals, the Council would have to develop a clear concept of how to deploy the necessary military or police (possibly gendarmerie) forces,

- a time-limited military operation would have to be closely linked with the efforts of the international community for the reconstruction of the DRC after the civil war,

- clear commitments have to be made by the international community to improve the long-term efficiency and sustainability of the Congolese police and armed forces;

2. Calls on the Council to appear before Parliament to present a clear proposal with a clear mandate fully based on a well-established scenario of needs, including a timetable; notes that for a possible EU mission to the DRC, there will need to be a specific EU mandate, based on the UN Charter;

3. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Member States, the DRC transitional government and the UN Secretary-General.

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