WRITTEN QUESTION E-0691/01

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Council

(14 March 2001)

Subject: Situation in the Congo

The new President of the Congo, Joseph Kabila (son of the assassinated President), recently paid a visit to UN headquarters in New York to assure his officials of his concern to pursue peace and cooperation. However, following his first meeting with the President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, he accused both Rwanda and Uganda of conducting marauding incursions into his country.

The situation is urgent since the international press reports that racial clashes have already begun on a limited scale. If the situation is not brought under control as soon as possible, the spread of these clashes and the killing of civilians which follows will cause incalculable harm.

Only an embargo on the sale of arms can pressure both sides into showing greater maturity and self-restraint.

What steps will the Council take to secure compliance with the terms of the Treaty of Lusaka and what pressure can it exert on the warring factions to hold talks with a view to finding a settlement?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-0691/01 and E-0772/01

(13 July 2001)

The Council has noted with satisfaction the solemn commitments made by the parties in Lusaka on 15 February and in New York on 21 and 22 February, to relaunch the implementation of the Lusaka cease-fire agreement, which constitutes the consensual basis for peace in the DRC and the region.

The Council has welcomed the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1341 approving the updated concept of operations for MONUC and it has underlined the crucial importance of a rapid deployment of the MONUC to verify and supervise the disengagement of troops, in the perspective of a complete, definitive and unconditional withdrawal of foreign troops from the DRC with the ultimate objective of restoring sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC.

The Council has confirmed the European Union's continued political and material support to the MONUC and to its contributors.

The Council has underlined the importance of disarming armed groups that operate in and from the territory of the DRC. It has welcomed the provisions in UN Security Council Resolution 1341, urging the parties to the conflict to co-operate with the MONUC in the elaboration of a plan for disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of all armed forces referred to in Annex A, Chapter 9.1 of the Lusaka Agreement. The European Union has expressed its willingness to work with the international community, in particular the United Nations specialised agencies, on the modalities of such a programme and it has mandated the European Union's Special Representative to engage in a reflection on how to pursue this question. Until these reflections have been presented to and discussed by the Council, it is too early to discuss the implementation and financing of such a programme.

The Council has reiterated the importance it attaches to an early start to the national dialogue, as foreseen in the Lusaka Agreement and recalled the support that the European Union and its Member States give to the process of national dialogue as well as its readiness to continue to support its institutional framework.

The Council has expressed its deep concern over the continuing serious human rights violations in the DRC and reminded the governments concerned of their responsibility and accountability for upholding the respect for human rights by their own armed forces as well as by the armed forces under their de facto control.

In the Council Joint Action appointing the European Union's Special Representative, Mr Ajello, reference is indeed made to an international conference on peace, stability, democracy and development in the African Great Lakes Region to be held at an appropriate time, but the Council has not pronounced itself on this question yet.

The Commission has recently indicated its wish to gradually resume development co-operation through a progressive resumption of aid, cut off since 1992, and by freeing credits from the 7th and 8th European Development Fund (EDF) namely 120 million. These funds should act to accompany the peace process and will be granted in relation to the progress accomplished by the Congolese authorities in the peace process and in the transition towards democracy.