WRITTEN QUESTION E-0425/01 by Olivier Dupuis (TDI) to the Council. Situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the abduction of Mr Jacques Depelchin by the Ugandan army.
Date: 2001-02-20
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Democratic Republic of the Congo, EU relations, Uganda, civil war, ethnic conflict, international affairs, military occupation, political kidnapping, political situation, war crime

C 261 E/114

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.9.2001

Reply

(30 May 2001)

Regarding the question on the NMD anti-missile defence shield, the Honourable Member is kindly invited
to refer to the reply to written question No E-0552/01 on (cid:145)United States missile defence(cid:146).

(2001/C 261 E/121)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0425/01

by Olivier Dupuis (TDI) to the Council

(20 February 2001)

Subject: Situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the abduction of Mr Jacques Depelchin by the

Ugandan army

For several years now, the Democratic Republic of Congo has been undergoing a very serious institutional
crisis. The most recent illustration of that phenomenon was the establishment of a semi-monarchical
regime when Joseph Kabila took power as President, a post previously occupied by his father in a country
at the mercy of civil war.

A number of African armies have moved troops into Congo. Rwandan and Ugandan troops, in particular,
occupy important areas, respectively in the east and in the north-west of the country. There, they indulge
in military and paramilitary activities without any supervision or any legal basis which might justify them.
The Ugandan army recently committed acts of violence against the local population and undertook
terrorist operations against local political representatives. That culminated in the abduction of Professor
Wamba dia Wamba and his colleague, Dr Jacques Depelchin, by Colonel Muzoora Edison, Commandant of
the Bunia sector, Major Gureme, Captain Medi Baguma, Lieutenant Tinka Godfroid and six other ranks of
the UPDF. Mr Depelchin was taken to Colonel Muzoora(cid:146)s HQ in Bunia and then transferred to Kampala
after being held in solitary confinement for seven hours. For several days now, Mr Depelchin has been on
hunger strike in an attempt to persuade the Ugandan authorities to inform him of the charges brought
against him and to secure restoration of his rights in full.

This action by the Ugandan army is only one of a series of acts of intimidation and terrorism perpetrated
in
by Ugandan soldiers against the people living in the region occupied by the Ugandan army and,
particular, against activists belonging to the Congolese Democracy Alliance (cid:129) Liberation Movement
(Rassemblement congolais pour la DØmocratie (cid:129) Mouvement de LibØration).

What information does the Council have about Mr Depelchin(cid:146)s plight? What measures has it taken, or does
it intend to take, with a view to securing his immediate and unconditional release by the Ugandan
authorities? In more general
indeed it has a position, on the
establishment of a semi-monarchical regime in Congo? What measures will the EU take to help resolve
the crisis which has been has been plaguing the country and the region for many a long year?

is the EU(cid:146)s position,

terms, what

if

Reply

(30 May 2001)

The Congolese Rally for Democracy-Liberation Movement (Rassemblement congolais pour la DØmocratie
(cid:129) Mouvement de LibØration, RCD-ML) is a Congolese rebel group backed by Uganda.

Besides the information given by the Honourable Parliamentarian and news reports corroborating this
information,
the Council does not dispose of any information concerning the RCD-ML official
Mr Depelchin(cid:146)s plight.

According to some sources, the abduction of Mr Depelchin is linked to the hema-lendu conflict in the
Uganda controlled part of the DRC. Another development in the region, which might have had an
influence, has to do with the merger between the Congolese Liberation Movement (MLC) and parts of the
RCD-ML, a merger imposed by Uganda according to some sources but not supported by all members of
the RCD-ML. The Council issued a declaration on the first of February this year concerning the hema-lendu
conflict in north-eastern DRC, where it expressed its concern over the continued violent clashes between

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 261 E/115

the hema and lendu groups and the massacres in the Bunia region of north-eastern DRC(cid:146)s Oriental
Province. A situation, exacerbated by the continued military presence of the Uganda army in this part of
DRC, which hampers the efforts to re-establish peace there.

In this context, the EU also called on the Ugandan authorities, responsible for upholding the respect for
human rights in areas under their control, to do their utmost to put an end to these massacres, and to use
their influence on the DRC rebel movement in the area to likewise concur with this objective.

Concerning the succession that took place in the DRC, the Council condemned the assassination of
President Laurent DØsirØ Kabila and reaffirmed that lasting peace in the DRC can only be achieved through
a negotiated peace settlement which is fair to all parties and through respect for democratic principles and
human rights in all States of the region.

The Council (General Affairs) has discussed the situation in the DRC both at its meetings in January and in
February, each time adopting conclusions expressing support for peace in the DRC and in the region in
accordance with the Lusaka Agreement and the Kampala and Harare Agreements and in conformity with
relevant UN Security Council Resolutions. It has likewise welcomed the adoption of UNSC Resolution
1341 approving the updated concept of operations for MONUC to which the EU has offered continued
political and material support.

The Council reiterated the importance of an early start to the National dialogue and the EU(cid:146)s readiness to
continue to support its institutional framework.

The Council welcomed the provisions in 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 groups referred to in Annex A, Chapter 9,1 of the Lusaka Agreement. The EU is willing to work
with the international community, in particular the UN specialised agencies on the modalities of such a
programme. It has also mandated the European Union(cid:146)s Special Representative to engage in a reflection on
how to pursue this question.

The Council (General Affairs) on 26 February 2001 also expressed deep concern at 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.

(2001/C 261 E/122)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0432/01

by Camilo Nogueira RomÆn (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(16 February 2001)

Subject: EU participation in new Indian Ocean multilateral fisheries organisation

From 5 to 10 February 2001 the FAO held a meeting on the island of RØunion to set up a multilateral
regional fisheries organisation covering the south-west Indian Ocean. The objective is to regulate the
exploitation of the region(cid:146)s fishing-grounds. Can the Commission state whether it intends to participate in
the process of creating this new regional fisheries organisation?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(22 March 2001)

The Commission is fully involved in the work on the establishment of the new Regional Fisheries
Organisation for the South of the Indian Ocean and took an active part at the meeting organised by the
Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in RØunion on 5-10 February 2001.