WRITTEN QUESTION P-1679/02 by Nelly Maes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Violence in Kisangani.
Date: 2002-06-06
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, common foreign and security policy, international affairs, peacekeeping, political situation, the EU's international role

12.6.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 137 E/19

(2003/C 137 E/021)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1679/02

by Nelly Maes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(6 June 2002)

Subject: Violence in Kisangani

Following the violence in Kisangani on 14 May 2002, UN sources consider it possible that unrest may also
break out in other towns under the control of DRC/Goma. The people are becoming increasingly
dissatisfied that the rebel movement, under pressure from Rwanda, is continuing to reject the political
agreement between President Joseph Kabila and the rebel movement MLC.

The international community is very lenient towards Rwanda, which continues to commit serious human
rights violations in Congo.

the Commission begin to implement

When will
the international community:
the demilitarisation of Kisangani, the reopening of the Congo River, the reunification of the country and
the withdrawal of foreign armies?

the decisions of

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(1 July 2002)

Implementation of the decisions of the international community is essentially a matter for the parties
involved in the conflict.

The Commission gives its full support to the United Nations but cannot implement measures such as the
demilitarisation of Kisangani, the reopening of the Congo River or the withdrawal of foreign armies.

the Congo river

traffic during the month of April,
Concerning the reopening of
representatives of Government of Congo, the Regional Cooperation for Development (RCD)-Goma and
the Movement for the the Liberation of Congo (MLC) signed an agreement proposed by the United Nations
Organisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC). The first convoy has already
reached Kisangani escorted by MONUC riverine units.

to commercial

(2003/C 137 E/022)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1681/02

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(6 June 2002)

Subject: Entry documents for Kosovo

Many Kosovars who have been issued with statutory residence permits for Belgium pursuant to the law on
the regularisation of the status of people without identity documents have enormous difficulty in obtaining
entry documents for Kosovo, their country of origin. Theoretically there are two ways in which they can
obtain travel permits for Kosovo: they may apply either to the UNMIK administration in Kosovo or to the
Embassy of rump Yugoslavia in Belgium. In practice, however, they face immense problems no matter
which course they adopt. UNMIK has a cumbersome and complex administrative procedure and mostly
deals with urgent cases (deaths, etc). The other option does not actually have any legal basis in view of the
current international status of Kosovo and as the institutions in Kosovo to which elections have recently
been held have no administrative links with Belgrade. The Embassy of rump Yugoslavia in Brussels is
exploiting the situation by compelling these Kosovars to sign declarations of membership of the Serb
community and by charging them enormous fees. I have heard sums mentioned ranging from EUR 1 000
to 1 500.

Is the Commission aware of the above problems and state of affairs, and will the Commission ask the
UNMIK administration in Kosovo and the Belgian federal authorities to secure freedom of movement for
these Kosovars?