WRITTEN QUESTION P-4067/97 by Gianfranco Dell'Alba (ARE) to the Commission (15 December 1997)

Subject: Resumption of cooperation with the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Can the Commission explain why it has apparently decided, on the fringe of the 'Amis du Congo' meeting held in Brussels on 3 and 4 December at the initiative of the World Bank, to unblock an amount of aid totalling ECU 77 million to the Democratic Republic of the Congo? This appears to be the first step towards total resumption of European Union aid to Kinshasa, although the Union's Institutions, most recently Parliament on 23 October 1997 and before that the General Affairs Council of 15 September 1997, have repeatedly expressed their concern at the human rights situation in the country and demanded that unhindered progress of the United Nations mission of inquiry into allegations of massacres and other human rights violations since 1993 be considered an essential precondition for any resumption of cooperation with the DRC.

Does the Commission consider, for example, that the many obstacles recently placed in the way of this mission of inquiry, which has been held up for more than six months, constitute the sufficient progress referred to by the Council three months ago as a condition for the gradual resumption of EU cooperation with the DRC?

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro on behalf of the Commission (19 January 1998)

The Commission announced, on the fringe of the recent 'Amis du Congo' meeting that it would resume its provisional health support programme (PATS II) for ECU 45 million and release a first instalment of ECU 34 million for the rehabilitation programme (PAR). PATS II is the second phase of a health programme under way since 1995 to assist the poorest sections of the population. The purpose of the first PAR instalment is to re-establish the road network around Kinshasa in order to ensure food security for the capital and allow peasants to sell their products there to earn a minimum income.

The two programmes bridge the gap between humanitarian aid and rehabilitation, and they are part of measures to combat poverty. They are being implemented either by non-governmental organisations or through direct contracts between the Commission and local businesses, making it possible to start up the programmes rapidly. At this stage, therefore, cooperation with Government institutions, which has been suspended since 1992, has not been resumed.

The Commission has begun a constructive dialogue with the Congo Government and the announcement of the two programmes is seen as a response to the positive steps taken by the Kinshasa authorities, in particular the 'green light' given to United Nations human rights mission's inquiry, the appointment of a constitutional committee and the constructive attitude of the Congo delegation at the 'Amis du Congo' meeting.

The Commission is aware that there are still many human rights problems in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and that setting up the constitutional committee is only a tentative step towards resuming the process of transition to democracy. Nevertheless, these problems must be viewed in the context of the critical situation in the country: the total dilapidation of infrastructures, the crushing weight of foreign debt, the extremely precarious economic and social situation, the fact that certain provinces are still unsettled and dangerous, regional rivalry and ideological splits within the leadership. In the light of the enormous challenges facing the new Government, the abovementioned political measures which it has taken deserve to be recognised as steps in the right direction and encouraged by partners outside the DRC. The announcement of the resumption of the two programmes by the Commission thus fits in with principle of gradual and conditional resumption of cooperation with Congo approved by the General Affairs Council of 15 September 1997.