European Parliament resolution on the situation in the Central African Republic
Date: 2001-06-14
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: Central African Republic, EU aid, establishment of peace, human rights, humanitarian aid, political situation, political violence

28.2.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 53 E/401

Thursday 14 June 2001

F.

noting the recent composite text submitted by the Chairman of the ad hoc Group of BTWC States
Parties as negotiations enter their final stages, for completion before the end of the last working
session on 17 August 2001,

G. noting with concern reports that the US policy review on the Compliance Protocol has recommended

that the US government reject the current draft compromise proposal,

H. welcoming the statement made on behalf of the European Union on 23 April 2001 by Swedish
(cid:145)A successful conclusion of these negotiations
Ambassador Henrik Salander to the Ad Hoc Group:
will not only strengthen the Convention, but will also be a demonstration that multilateral negoti-
ations are capable of achieving progress towards disarmament and non-proliferation(cid:146),

I.

noting the short timeframe for resolving outstanding issues before the session ends in August 2001,

1.
Calls upon all BTWC States Parties to show maximum flexibility and readiness to compromise so that
the short deadline may be met and a Protocol may be adopted before the Fifth BTWC Review Conference
in November-December 2001;

Urges all BTWC States Parties to support a compromise agreement based on the Chairman(cid:146)s com-

2.
posite text;

3.
Urges States to create the strongest possible verification regime, in order to curb the hostile misuse of
biological technologies, which means maintaining as a minimum the measures currently outlined in the
Chairman(cid:146)s composite text;

Recommends that the final version of the Compliance Protocol establish a modern and open verifi-

4.
cation regime, capable of adjusting to changing political climate and technical capabilities;

Invites the Council to raise these matters concerning the Compliance Protocol for the BTWC with the

5.
President of the United States at the G(cid:246)teborg Summit;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Chairman of the
6.
BTWC Ad Hoc Group Ambassador Tibor T(cid:243)th, the Secretary General of the United Nations Kofi Annan,
the President of the United States, and the Heads of State or Government of the EU Member States and of
the Applicant States.

17. Situation in the Central African Republic

B5-0431, 0437, 0447, 0455 and 0463/2001

European Parliament resolution on the situation in the Central African Republic

The European Parliament,

(cid:129) having regard to the situation of virtual bankruptcy, despite its rich natural resources, of the Central
African Republic, which is unable to resume its repayments to the World Bank and where the mili-
tary, with the exception of the presidential guard, are owed back pay for one year and teachers for
more than two years,

A. whereas this landlocked country has suffered the full force of the Congolese rivalries, which cut off its

usual access routes,

B.

concerned at the breakdown of the State and the public service,

C 53 E/402

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

28.2.2002

Thursday 14 June 2001

C. whereas the Government has responded to the social crisis by limiting public freedoms,

D. whereas the attempted coup of 28 May 2001 and the ten days of fighting and the repression that
followed, particularly vis-(cid:224)-vis the Yacomas, the tribe of ex-President Kolingba, who is suspected of
initiating the coup and the serious acts of violence against the civilian population,

E. whereas hundreds of people died as a result of the fighting,

F. whereas the UN peace-keeping force, which was deployed in April 1998 after two years of mutiny
and withdrawn in February 2000, had begun restructuring the armed forces to include representatives
of all the tribes,

G. whereas tens of thousands of civilians, most of them women, children and old people, fled from the

fighting and are surviving in precarious conditions in the forests,

H.

recalling the food supply problems that exist,

I.

recalling the task assigned by the UN Secretary-General to the former President of Mali, Amadou
Toumani TourØ,

J. whereas the forces loyal to President PatassØ, with the support of Libyan troops and the Congolese

movement MLC, seem to have regained control of the situation,

Vigorously condemns the use of violence against a lawfully elected Head of State and reiterates that it

1.
is inadmissible to resort to force to achieve political and economic ends;

2.

Calls for a cessation of hostilities;

Calls on all the parties involved to be scrupulously respectful of legality, human rights and demo-

3.
cratic institutions under the Constitution;

Profoundly regrets the loss of human life and other suffering and expresses its sympathy for the

4.
victims of the conflict;

Calls for the perpetrators of summary executions of civilians, looting and any other human rights

5.
violations to be identified and brought to justice forthwith;

6.

7.

Is concerned at the involvement of foreign military forces in the Central African Republic;

Calls on all political groups to resume peaceful political dialogue;

Calls on the Commission and Council to follow developments closely and to take all necessary

8.
measures to promote a return to civil peace and prevent a humanitarian crisis;

Calls on the Commission to step up humanitarian aid to the population and hopes that the UN will
9.
grant substantial assistance to rebuild the basic socio-economic infrastructure in order to bring the country
out of its current crisis;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Co-Presidents

10.
of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly and the Government of the Central African Republic.