Council Joint Action 2008/491/CFSP of 26 June 2008 amending and extending Council Joint Action 2007/406/CFSP on the European Union mission to provide advice and assistance for security sector reform in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (EUSEC RD Congo)
Date: 2008-06-26
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: Democratic Republic of the Congo, armed forces, military cooperation, operation of the Institutions, public safety, the EU's international role

L 168/42

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

28.6.2008

COUNCIL JOINT ACTION 2008/491/CFSP

of 26 June 2008

amending and extending Council Joint Action 2007/406/CFSP on the European Union mission to
provide advice and assistance for security sector reform in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
(EUSEC RD Congo)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

(6)

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in
particular Article 14 thereof,

The current security situation in the DRC could dete-
riorate, producing potentially serious consequences for
the process of democratic reform, the rule of law and
security at
level. Sustained
commitment by the EU in terms of political effort and
resources will help to establish stability in the region.

international and regional

Whereas:

(7)

Joint Action 2007/406/CFSP
accordingly,

should be

amended

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Since 2 May 2005 the European Union has conducted a
mission to provide advice and assistance for security
sector reform in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
(DRC),
current
(EUSEC RD Congo). The mission's
mandate is specified by Joint Action 2007/406/CFSP (1)
and ends on 30 June 2008.

HAS ADOPTED THIS JOINT ACTION:

Article 1

Joint Action 2007/406/CFSP is hereby amended as follows:

The mission's mandate should be extended for a period
of 12 months from 1 July 2008.

1. In Article 2, points (a)

to (e) shall be replaced by the

following:

The support provided by the European Union to the
Congolese authorities in the sphere of security sector
reform in the DRC could henceforth also involve
focusing on drawing up the arrangements for the organ-
isation of the future Rapid Reaction Force specified by
the Government of the DRC as part of the overall plan
for reforming the army. Particular emphasis should be
placed on the ‘human resources’ function.

international

The statements of commitment signed in Goma on
23 January 2008 by the Government of the DRC and
armed groups operating in the Kivus began a process of
pacification of the Kivus. This process receives back-up
the
from the
European Union by way of the European Union Special
Representative
the African Great Lakes
Region. The EUSEC RD Congo mission should play a
part
in the efforts made by the EUSR in the work
being done to implement the statements of commitment
for the Kivus.

community,

including

(EUSR)

for

(5)

A new financial reference amount should be provided to
cover expenditure relating to the mission for the period
from 1 July 2008 to 30 June 2009.

(1) OJ L 151, 13.6.2007, p. 52.

‘(a) providing advice and assistance to the Congolese auth-
orities in their work to integrate, restructure and rebuild
the Congolese army, particularly by:

— contributing to the development of various national
including work on horizontal
the areas involved in the

plans and policies,
issues which cover all
reform of the security sector in the DRC,

— providing support for the committees and bodies
involved in that work, and contributing to the defi-
nition of the priorities and practical needs of the
Congolese,

of

and

— contributing, inter alia by supplying expertise in the
training and education of staff and the
selection,
assessment
equipment
infrastructure
requirements, to the drawing up of the arrangements
for the organisation and gradual establishment of the
Rapid Reaction Force as part of the overall plan for
reforming the army with due respect for the prin-
ciples of human rights,
international humanitarian
law, gender issues and children affected by armed
conflicts;

28.6.2008

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 168/43

(b)

running and bringing to completion the technical
assistance project on the modernisation of the chain
of payments of the Ministry of Defence of the DRC,
the “chain of payments
hereinafter
project”, so as to carry out the tasks specified in the
General Concept for the project;

referred to as

(c) on the basis of the chain of payments project, providing
support for the human resources function and for the
development of a general human resources policy;

(d)

(e)

identifying and contributing to the development of
various projects and options that the European Union
or its Member States may decide to support relating to
the reform of the security sector;

supervising specific projects financed or initiated by the
Member States
the
mission and overseeing their implementation, in coordi-
nation with the Commission;

the objectives of

in pursuit of

(b) the first sentence of paragraph 2 shall be replaced by:

‘2.
In implementing the mission statement as set out
in Article 2(e), the Head of Mission shall be authorised to
from the
have
recourse
Member States.’;

contributions

to financial

5. Article 9(1) shall be replaced by the following:

‘1.
The financial reference amount to cover expenditure
relating to the mission for the period from 1 July 2007 to
30 June 2008 shall be EUR 9 700 000.

The financial reference amount to cover expenditure relating
to the mission for the period from 1 July 2008 to 30 June
2009 shall be EUR 8 450 000.’;

6. Article 15 is hereby deleted;

(f) providing support for the EUSR, as and when necessary,
in the
the work carried out by the
committees for the process of pacification of the Kivus;

context of

7. In Article 16, the second paragraph shall be replaced by the

following:

and

‘It shall apply until 30 June 2009.’.

(g) contributing to ensuring that all efforts made as regards

SSR are consistent.’;

Article 2

2. In Article 3(a), the second indent shall be replaced by the

following:

‘— a support cell, and’;

3. In the second indent of Article 3(c), the words ‘a mobile

team’ shall be replaced by ‘mobile teams’;

This Joint Action shall enter into force on 1 July 2008.

Article 3

This Joint Action shall be published in the Official Journal of the
European Union.

4. Article 5 shall be amended as follows:

Done at Brussels, 26 June 2008.

(a) Paragraph 1 shall be replaced by:

‘1.
The Head of Mission shall assume day to day
management of the mission and shall be responsible
for staff and disciplinary matters.’;

For the Council
The President

D. RUPEL