Doslovno izvješće

Utorak, 10. veljače 2015. - Strasbourg

8. Stanje u Demokratskoj Republici Kongo (rasprava)

  President. - The next item is the debate on the statement by the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (2015/2552 RSP)).

I welcome the Vice-President of the Commission, Ms Mogherini.

  Federica Mogherini, Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs. – Madam President, let me thank you for this exchange of views today regarding the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

As you know, the European Union has been a strong and consistent partner to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) over the last 15 years. In 2006 it provided the bulk of financing for the organisation of the first democratic elections in the history of Congo and the DRC has been one of our top priorities in Africa over the past decades. This includes two military operations and a sustained effort to support security sector reform with two CSDP missions, as well as more traditional areas of cooperation such as health, roads and natural resources management.

Today I think that many of you are especially concerned about the delays and uncertainties surrounding the electoral process, which includes the holding of local elections in 2015 and the legislative and presidential elections in 2016 at the latest. The recent debate over the passing of a new electoral law has led to violent popular protests calling for constitutional timelines to be respected, and to two casualties. During this difficult time we called on all political forces to seek a consensus to facilitate an appeasement of the situation, and we asked the government in particular to exercise constraint, to maintain an open political space and allow for the peaceful expression of opinion.

The prerequisite of organising a general consensus before the legislative and presidential elections has now been dropped. This opens the door to organising the elections within the constitutional timeframe. This is a very positive step which I welcome and I know too that some of you expressed opinions on the same lines.

But respect for the constitution goes further than respecting timelines. Freedoms of speech and of the media, the right of peaceful assembly, respect for the rights of the opposition are all essential components of a democracy. These critical elements will be part of our dialogue with the Congolese Government, with the objective of reducing tensions in the political climate.

I am very much aware of, and I share, the concerns of this Parliament regarding the situation of Dr Denis Mukwege and the Panzi Hospital. Let me say too that I was honoured, personally, to sit in this very same room, listening to his inspiring and dramatic words last November on the occasion of the Sakharov Prize. I was also honoured to have on that occasion a very good meeting with him, looking for ways of cooperating on concrete projects. I wish to confirm to you that the European Union is following with great vigilance the situation concerning his physical security as a human rights defender.

I have also asked my representative in Kinshasa to enquire about the dispute between the Congolese administration and the Panzi Hospital. I strongly support an amicable agreement between the Panzi Hospital and the Congolese administration.

The holding of democratic elections leading to a peaceful transition of power will be key to longer-term stability in the DRC and in the wider region. Stability will also depend on other factors, in particular the neutralisation of all armed groups in Eastern Congo. There has been some significant progress in this respect thanks to the efforts of the Congolese army and MONUSCO.

Nevertheless, important challenges remain: for example regarding the ex-M23 movement. The governments of the DRC, Uganda and Rwanda should strengthen their collaboration to achieve a durable disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of ex-combatants and their dependents.

The FDLR rebel group remains a major threat to long-term stability in the region. Linked with the Rwanda 1994 genocide ideology, this group has inflicted immense human suffering and has spoiled DRC–Rwanda relations. With the support of the United Nations, there is now a unique opportunity to address one of the root causes of conflicts in the Kivus.

The FDLR movement has been given plenty of time by countries in the region to surrender peacefully. We discussed this in the Foreign Affairs Council in January and we adopted 28 Council conclusions where we stated that the time has now come for military operations. However we stress too that we invite MONUSCO and FARDC to ensure civilians are fully protected and that international humanitarian law is respected during the operations.

Let me reiterate our support for the UN involvement in promoting peace and stability. This includes the sustained efforts of MONUSCO and troop-contributing countries as well as the personal efforts of the UN Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region.

Let me also stress that I know, and I share, your desire to curb the links between conflict and exploitation of natural resources in the Great Lakes region. As part of its comprehensive approach the European Union has started to address the situation. Together with the Commission, as you might very well know, my predecessor issued a Joint Communication on responsible sourcing of conflict minerals. And Parliament and the Council are currently examining right now the draft regulations that went together with this Communication.

Finally, I would like to mention the European Union’s long-term commitment in the DRC to supporting the preservation of Congolese national parks. This includes Virunga Park, which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The future of this park is threatened by permits being granted for oil exploration that could lead to oil exploitation in the future. Let me ensure you that we will continue to keep a close eye on national decisions that might impact on the sustainability of this park.

To conclude, I would just like to share with you the information that I have mandated Mr Vervaeke, the EU Senior Coordinator for the Great Lakes region, to join a mission of special envoys that will go to Kinshasa in the coming weeks to assess the situation and obviously report back.

I thank you for your attention and I look forward to the debate and listening to your speeches today.

  Davor Ivo Stier, u ime kluba PPE. – Gospođo predsjednice, doista, problemi u Demokratskoj Republici Kongo su mnogobrojni. Gospođo Visoka predstavnice, vi ste nabrojali neke probleme, kao što je problem eksploatacije minerala, ilegalnih financiranja oružanih skupina, problem sustavnog silovanja žena – o čemu je ovdje u ovome Domu svjedočio doktor Mukwege, kao što je naravno i problem selektivne pravde po kojoj je i zatvorena bolnica doktora Mukwege nakon što je uputio kritičke tonove prema vlastima. No, uzroke svih tih problema možemo naći doista u neefikasnim institucijama, u nedemokratskim institucijama, u nedostatku vladavine prava, u visokim stopama korupcije. Prosvjednici u Kinshasi ustali su uglavnom jer je bila najavljena izmjena izbornog zakona koja bi onda nalagala da se provede popis stanovništva u zemlji prije nego što se raspišu sljedeći izbori. A sasvim je bilo jasno da je ta najavljena izborna reforma bio pokušaj perpetuiranja na vlasti aktualnog predsjednika Kabile.

Zato su izuzetno važni afirmacija i procesi demokratizacije u zemlji, i naravno refokusiranje i naše politike razvojne suradnje kako bi mogli potencirati upravo izgradnju inkluzivnih demokratskih institucija. U tom pogledu, mislim da su dodatni napori potrebni kako iz aspekta razvojne politike tako i ukupne vanjske politike Europske unije, i to bi trebala biti jedna od glavnih poruka iz ove rasprave.

Na kraju, želio bih isto tako dodati da iako imamo danas autoritarnu vlast predsjednika Kabile, prije njega njegovog oca, prije toga Mobutua, ostaje ista paradigma korupcije koja je sam izvor tih problema. Zapravo, izgradnjom tih inkluzivnih institucija moramo se suočiti s tim uzrocima i to promijeniti.

  Kashetu Kyenge, a nome del gruppo S&D. – Signora Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, l'elezione presidenziale nella Repubblica democratica del Congo riveste un'importanza fondamentale non solo per il consolidamento della democrazia di questo paese ma anche per gli equilibri e la stabilità dell'intera regione dei Grandi Laghi. Nessun rinvio, pertanto, del calendario elettorale. Nessun ricorso a falsi espedienti che rischiano di allontanare milioni di cittadini dalla democrazia.

Il buon governo e l'alternanza di potere è una costante che è mancata per troppo tempo e in troppi paesi. Ci indigniamo di fronte alle decine di persone brutalmente uccise solo per aver legittimamente protestato contro la modifica della Costituzione e della legge elettorale. Condanniamo l'arresto di Vano Kiboko e di altri manifestanti e personalità di spicco dell'opposizione locale e ne chiediamo l'immediato rilascio. Denunciamo le ripetute violenze contro le donne e chiediamo che i responsabili di simili atrocità vengano consegnati alla giustizia.

Signora Presidente, riconoscere la legittimità dell'avversario nella competizione democratica è l'unica via possibile per evitare violenze e conflitti. Questa è la grande responsabilità che ci si attende dall'attuale gruppo dirigente congolese, questo è ciò che l'Unione europea deve pretendere, tenendo presente che nessuna violazione dei diritti umani sarà mai tollerata né dalla comunità internazionale, né dalla Corte penale internazionale dell'Aia. In tale contesto, esprimiamo il nostro appoggio alla missione MONUSCO per gli sforzi di consolidamento della pace su tutto il territorio congolese.

Infine, signora Presidente, esprimo la mia vergogna, come cittadina europea, di fronte all'ennesima tragedia che è costata la vita a 29 migranti al largo delle coste di Lampedusa, una notizia passata inosservata. Altre vite umane che si aggiungono alla lista di migliaia di donne, uomini e bambini, colpevoli di cercare una vita migliore sul territorio europeo.

  Louis Michel, au nom du groupe ALDE. – Madame la Présidente, Madame la Haute représentante, je voudrais d'abord vous féliciter pour ce résumé extrêmement clair et précis qui traduit votre engagement en RDC. La situation en RDC est particulièrement préoccupante, voire explosive, à plus d'un titre, ce qui n'est pas sans conséquence pour la sous-région.

Premièrement, il est essentiel que des élections présidentielles crédibles se tiennent dans les délais prévus. Le président de la commission électorale nationale indépendante de la RDC, M.

\*Deuxièmement, il est indispensable que l'ensemble du processus électoral se déroule dans un climat apaisé, sans violence orchestrée contre des opposants, contre la société civile, contre des candidats potentiels ou contre des journalistes. La liberté de la presse, la liberté d'expression et la liberté de manifester pacifiquement sont des droits fondamentaux garantis par la Constitution. On ne peut tolérer ni des arrestations arbitraires, ni des intimidations, or c'est à cela qu'on assiste aujourd'hui en RDC.

  Lidia Senra Rodríguez, en nombre del Grupo GUE/NGL. – Señora Presidenta, a mí me gustaría resaltar aquí una vez más que cada conflicto que analizamos o debatimos en este Parlamento siempre está directamente ligado a los intereses de las compañías transnacionales y de las potencias occidentales en el saqueo de los recursos de estos países.

En el caso de la República Democrática del Congo, no se escapa la importancia estratégica que tiene por su enorme dimensión geográfica y por contar con gran parte de las reservas de minerales del mundo —diamantes, cobre, oro, coltan—, reservas de petróleo, agua y tierra. En fin, un país tremendamente rico y tremendamente empobrecido.

Creo que, para poner solución a estos conflictos, hay que empezar a hablar seriamente de que las multinacionales tienen que irse y dejar que sean los propios pueblos los que decidan sobre sus recursos y sobre sus economías.

Hay que denunciar también que, en los casos de conflicto, normalmente, las mujeres y las niñas siempre se llevan la peor parte, y tenemos que prestarles una atención especial.

  Judith Sargentini, namens de Verts/ALE-Fractie. – Voorzitter, met nog een jaar te gaan tot de verkiezingen zien we dat Facebook wordt afgesloten en dat de repressie erger wordt, dat mensenrechtenactivisten meer risico lopen. Ik zeg met nadruk nog een jaar te gaan tot de verkiezingen, want ik denk dat het belangrijk is dat wij blijven uitdragen dat die verkiezingen geen vertragingen horen te hebben en dat twee termijnen voor Kabila twee termijnen zijn. Dat moeten we blijven benadrukken. We moeten erg goed opletten wat er gaat gebeuren in Congo en de mensenrechtenactivisten bescherming bieden.

Maar wat we ook moeten doen is onze eigen wet rondom conflictmineralen écht tanden geven. Wat er nu ligt, mevrouw Mogherini, is vrijwillige zelfcertificering voor een paar Europese bedrijven. Wat dit Huis wilde, is wetgeving die bindend was voor álle producten en die ook zou leiden tot duurzame mijnbouw in conflictgebieden. Want hoe krijg je de oorlog uit een land? Dat is onder andere door het geld uit het conflict te halen. Mijn vraag aan u, mevrouw Mogherini, is: hoe maken we deze wetgeving stevig en effectief?

  James Carver, on behalf of the EFDD Group. – Madam President, the DRC is a classic example for Western politicians of how it is unacceptable to use African nations as pawns on a diplomatic chessboard. Today’s problems in the DRC are a direct consequence of her abandonment after the Cold War on the back of Belgian King Leopold II’s earlier use of this beautiful mineral-rich country as his personal fiefdom.

As we all wish for a stable future here, the African-led UN force must now, more than ever before, face up to questions over their past conduct. Accordingly, I question whether a man facing over 121 allegations of breaches of human rights, General Bruno Mandevu, should still be a senior officer in a Congolese UN-joint military operation against the FDLR. Can someone under such scrutiny really be allowed to remain in a position of authority as we endeavour to enter a fresh chapter of hope in this troubled region?

  Mariya Gabriel (PPE). - Madame la Présidente, Madame la Haute Représentante, chers collègues, malgré mon attachement à la République démocratique du Congo, je ne puis me réjouir du fait que la situation de ce pays partenaire soit à l'ordre du jour.

La décision du 25 janvier sur la loi électorale ne suffira pas à restaurer un climat de confiance pour le reste du cycle électoral.

La situation actuelle comprend quatre éléments clés.

Premièrement, la publication d'un calendrier électoral complet, consensuel et, surtout, assorti d'un budget détaillé, déjà demandée par la mission de suivi électoral que j'ai conduite en juin dernier. Huit mois plus tard, nous en sommes au même point. Le gouvernement et la CENI ne peuvent pas continuer à se renvoyer la balle.

Deuxièmement, l'élément central de toute poursuite du cycle électoral en RDC est le dialogue entre les partis politiques. Nous devons l'encourager, que ce soit dans le cadre des groupes de travail au sein de la CENI ou par de nouvelles initiatives qui créent des forums de discussion entre les partis, pour restaurer la confiance, pour assurer la transition du pouvoir.

Troisième message clé: la mise en œuvre de l'accord-cadre d'Addis Abeba. Le lancement des opérations militaires contre les FDLR ne pourra être décisif que si de réels progrès sont réalisés dans la mise en œuvre de l'accord-cadre. Les engagements doivent être tenus par tous les acteurs.

Ce débat est aussi l'occasion de rappeler le prix Sakharov du Docteur Mukwege. Les autorités congolaises doivent appuyer pleinement les activités de l'hôpital de Panzi et s'abstenir d'entraver son bon fonctionnement. La protection des civils, enfin, doit rester prioritaire, pas seulement pour la Monusco, mais surtout pour les forces armées de la RDC.

  Maria Arena (S&D). - Madame la Présidente, Madame Mogherini, je suis entièrement d'accord avec ce que notre collègue Louis Michel a dit, tant sur la question de la liberté de la presse que sur la question des droits de l'homme, et également sur le calendrier électoral. Et je ne puis que soutenir l'idée d'un observatoire, tel qu'il l'a proposé.

L'Union européenne doit toutefois rester cohérente et elle dispose d'autres instruments pour mener cette politique, notamment l'instrument du commerce international. Vous savez que nous discutons aujourd'hui, au sein de la commission INTA, de la lutte contre les minerais dits "du sang", c'est-à-dire ceux qui alimentent les conflits dans ces régions. Cette mesure doit être contraignante. La proposition de la Commission est timide et nous demandons, tout comme l'a fait M. Mukwege quand il est venu ici pour recevoir le prix Sakharov et qu'il nous a engagés à prendre des mesures contraignantes en la matière, que le Parlement prenne ses responsabilités.

J'engage donc tout le Parlement à prendre ses responsabilités et pas seulement à dire – au moment où se posent des problèmes de droits humains – qu'il faut effectivement lutter, et à utiliser les outils qui sont à sa disposition pour lutter contre les infractions en matière de droits humains.

  Maite Pagazaurtundúa Ruiz (ALDE). - Señora Presidenta, yo también apoyo las propuestas sensatas del señor Michel y también las palabras que acaba de pronunciar nuestra compañera.

En el mes de noviembre, los parlamentarios europeos otorgamos el Premio Sájarov al doctor Mukwege lo estamos diciendo hoy por jugarse la vida recomponiendo el cuerpo y el alma de mujeres y niñas atacadas sexualmente como arma de guerra. Quien busca destruir el Estado, desgajarlo, necesita destruir las comunidades y esta es una de las formas más eficaces.

En esta sede, el doctor Mukwege nos pidió que no dejásemos morir el acuerdo firmado en Adís Abeba. El Acuerdo Marco para la Paz, la Seguridad y la Cooperación en la República Democrática del Congo y la Región se firmó hace menos de dos años, y hoy tememos por las elecciones en 2016.

Tras escuchar al doctor Mukwege, es preciso implicarse contra la impunidad, por la seguridad. Comisaria Mogherini, la necesitamos para apoyar al enviado especial de las Naciones Unidas, para implicarnos e implicar a la sociedad europea hasta lograr un avance en la región, unas elecciones aceptables en 2017 y, por eso, Comisaria, yo apoyo las propuestas del señor Michel.

  Elena Valenciano (S&D). - Señora Presidenta, yo soy también de las partidarias de actuar urgentemente en la República Democrática del Congo.

Acabo de hablar, hace tan solo dos horas, con Denis Mukwege y me ha pedido que este Parlamento intervenga: necesita protección. Desde el 16 de noviembre su situación no ha parado de empeorar. Mukwege recibe constantes amenazas, intimidaciones vía telefónica, vía SMS y la situación de seguridad de su hospital y de su persona corren grave riesgo.

Todavía resuenan aquí las palabras de Denis Mukwege cuando recibió el Premio Sájarov, resuenan en nuestras cabezas y en nuestras conciencias.

Es el momento de que este Parlamento y la Unión Europea tomen medidas contundentes contra la situación que se está produciendo en la República Democrática del Congo. No podemos dar el Premio Sájarov a Denis Mukwege y abandonarle ahora ante una evidente falta de seguridad para su persona y para los pacientes.

Denis Mukwege ha denunciado en los últimos meses el incremento de violaciones de niños y niñas menores de cinco años: eso es lo que está sucediendo. El Gobierno congolés no ha hecho absolutamente nada y Denis Mukwege pide una investigación internacional sobre esa situación.

Pues bien: investigación internacional, compromiso directo de las autoridades europeas con la lucha por la paz y la dignidad en el Congo, y compromiso con la seguridad personal de Denis Mukwege, que vino a pedírnoslo aquí, en persona, y la mitad de este Parlamento acabó llorando.

  Enrique Guerrero Salom (S&D). - Señora Presidenta, señora Alta Representante, la represión del Gobierno congoleño, el mes pasado, causó la muerte de al menos cuarenta y dos de sus ciudadanos. Es una cifra en sí misma dramática, pero es una pequeña parte de los miles de muertos, del medio millón de desplazados, de los dos millones y medio de personas que necesitan ayuda humanitaria y de las violaciones que se producen en ese país. Ese es el resultado, junto con la persecución de los líderes políticos de la oposición, junto con la persecución de la sociedad civil en prácticamente todos sus estratos.

La Unión Europea tiene que comprometerse con la Unión Africana a incorporar a todas las partes en un proyecto para alcanzar la paz, en un proyecto para celebrar elecciones libres, de acuerdo con una ley electoral democrática. Y, finalmente, tiene que tener una política decidida, firme, justa respecto del conflicto de los minerales: que no sirvan para financiar a los grupos armados de la región.

Eso es lo que creo que el Parlamento debe pedir a la Comisión Europea, a la Unión Europea en su conjunto, y es lo que estamos diciéndole a la Alta Representante en este debate.

  Doru-Claudian Frunzulică (S&D). - Madam President, the recent events in the Democratic Republic of Congo are unacceptable, and the rise in violence there must be condemned by all means.

The parliament has taken an important decision by enacting the electoral law. We expect the Democratic Republic of Congo to promptly set a date for the presidential elections in 2016. The humanitarian situation in Congo deteriorates every day, with a variety of threats to the safety of the population, such as conflicts over minerals, sexual violence used as a conflict weapon and tough repression by the government. The country seems to be falling step-by-step into chaos.

I believe that the intimidation and arrest of political opponents and human rights defenders and the repression of civil society should be stopped by all means, and I expect the European Commission to take the necessary steps to stop this.

I am very concerned for the safety of our Sakharov Prize winner, Denis Mukwege, whose hospital was clearly targeted days after visiting this House. We expect as well that MONUSCO will take the necessary measures in order to fulfil its main task: the protection of civilians.

VORSITZ: RAINER WIELAND
VizepräsidentCatch-the-eye-Verfahren

  Νότης Μαριάς (ECR). - Κύριε Πρόεδρε, οι τελευταίες εξελίξεις στη Λαϊκή Δημοκρατία του Κονγκό προκαλούν έντονο προβληματισμό στη διεθνή κοινότητα καθώς η περιοχή αυτή κινδυνεύει με πλήρη αποσταθεροποίηση. Αυτό σημαίνει, πέραν των άλλων, ότι πρέπει να τηρηθούν όσα προβλέπει το Σύνταγμα για τη διενέργεια των προεδρικών εκλογών, οι οποίες προβλέπονται σε πολύ συγκεκριμένη ημερομηνία.

Όμως η απόφαση του Καμπιλά να επεκτείνει τη θητεία του στον προεδρικό θώκο έχει προκαλέσει θύελλα αντιδράσεων της αντιπολίτευσης, τεράστιες διαδηλώσεις και αιματηρές ταραχές. Πολλοί ακτιβιστές έχουν πέσει πλέον νεκροί. Η ύπαρξη στρατιωτικών ομάδων και οι τοπικές συγκρούσεις στο Κονγκό έχουν όμως ένα υλικό αντικείμενο: τον έλεγχο της εκμετάλλευσης των πλούσιων φυσικών πόρων του Κονγκό. Για τον λόγο αυτό πρέπει να αποκατασταθεί η δημοκρατία, να προστατευθούν τα θεμελιώδη δικαιώματα και να γίνει αξιοποίηση των φυσικών πόρων του Κονγκό υπέρ του ίδιου του λαού της χώρας. Μόνο έτσι θα μπορέσουν να προστατευθούν οι γυναίκες και τα παιδιά στην περιοχή.

  Ivan Jakovčić (ALDE). - Gospodine predsjedniče, Demokratska Republika Kongo je za Europu posebno važna afrička država. Ne u onom svjetlu u kojem sam prije slušao jednog kolegu koji je govorio da je to jedna obična zemlja kralja Leopolda iz Belgije - nije to način na koji trebamo razgovarati. Trebamo razgovarati na način da danas u ovom demokratskom Kongu mi želimo zaista ostvariti sve one ciljeve koje narod Konga ima pravo ostvariti.

Mi moramo imati konsekventnu politiku. Ako smo g. Mukwegeu dali prestižnu nagradu, moramo voditi konsekventnu daljnju politiku. Inače ćemo vjerodostojnost ovog Parlamenta i uopće Europske unije izgubiti u Kongu i drugdje.

Zato plediram na Visoku povjerenicu i na našu politiku da ovu situaciju u Kongu razriješi demokratskim putem, novim izborima i na taj način da vidimo zaista tko ima povjerenje kongoanskog naroda i mislim da je to jedino ispravno rješenje.

  Michèle Rivasi (Verts/ALE). - Monsieur le Président, j'aimerais intervenir sur l'extraction minière.

Madame Mogherini, vous savez, il y a du sang dans ce portable, il y a des minerais rares, dont une partie peut provenir de la République démocratique du Congo. Et cela nous pose un problème, puisque ce commerce enrichit les groupes armés et crée de l'argent pour financer leurs exactions.

Au niveau de l'Europe, nous avons une responsabilité. Nous disposons en effet d'un règlement européen, sur base volontaire, sur l'origine des minerais, que ce soit l'étain, le tantale, le tungstène ou l'or. Il faut tout d'abord l'élargir à d'autres ressources, comme le pétrole, l'uranium, etc., et surtout, il faut qu'il devienne contraignant. Comment se fait-il en effet qu'aux États-Unis, la loi Dodd-Frank soit contraignante, alors que chez nous, au niveau européen, cela se passe sur une base volontaire?

Ensuite, il ne suffit pas de limiter cette tentative de certification aux importateurs, il faut le faire sur toute la chaîne, et notamment sur l'entreprise finale. Il faut lui demander si elle dispose d'une charte éthique concernant les portables. Parce que je trouve ça scandaleux...

(Le Président retire la parole à l'oratrice)

  Fabio Massimo Castaldo (EFDD). - Signor Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, citando uno scrittore della mia terra, Flaiano, direi che nella Repubblica democratica del Congo la situazione continua a essere molto grave ma tutt'altro che seria. Basti pensare all'escamotage ignobile con cui l'attuale Presidente voleva cercare di rinviare le elezioni.

Purtroppo, in molti paesi ex colonie dei nostri Stati membri l'esempio di dieci anni di colonizzazione ha portato la classe dirigente a credere che la democrazia sia dittatura della maggioranza, vera o presunta che sia, e non massima tutela dei diritti dell'opposizione, e così il Presidente Kabila tenta di fare del paese una sua proprietà personale, come fece in passato il re del Belgio.

È ora che da parte nostra ci sia coerenza e si dica basta e si imponga alle nostre imprese di rinunciare per sempre alle materie prime che sono sporche di sangue. Ce l'ha chiesto quest'anno un grande uomo, il nostro Premio Sakharov, il dottor Mukwege, e noi dobbiamo trasformare le sue parole nelle nostre azioni. Altrimenti, il premio di cui l'abbiamo giustamente insignito diventerà semplicemente il premio alla nostra ipocrisia.

  Gianluca Buonanno (NI). - Signor Presidente, vedo che la discussione sul Congo appassiona molto quest'Aula, vedo che c'è un grande fermento. Mi sembra di essere nella pensione Mariuccia che c'è in Italia, dove ci sono praticamente i pensionati che giocano a carte e che fanno due parole nell'attesa che arrivi la sera per fare la cena.

Poi vedo l'Alto rappresentante degli esteri e ovviamente della sicurezza, la Mogherini, qui presente. Le voglio dire una frase poetica, signor rappresentante: visti i risultati che ha avuto, non nel Congo, dove mi piacerebbe che lei andasse e non tornasse più indietro, ma in Ucraina, dove è andata la Merkel a parlare con Putin di questo problema insieme a Hollande, lei conta un emerito, mi scusi il termine, cazzo. Lei non conta nulla, dico nulla in questa Europa!

E per svegliare quest'Aula, voi dormite in piedi, l'Europa non conta niente! Non conta niente! Svegliatevi un po'! Svegliatevi! Svegliatevi! Svegliatevi! Svegliatevi! Siete addormentati! Noi abbiamo bisogno di un'Europa....

(Il Presidente interrompe l'oratore)

  Der Präsident. - Herr Kollege Buonanno! Sie haben wesentlich zu lange gesprochen. Ihre letzten Bemerkungen bleiben der Öffentlichkeit verborgen, weil sie von den Dolmetschern auch nicht mehr gedolmetscht werden konnten.

(Ende des Catch-the-eye-Verfahrens)

  Federica Mogherini, Vicepresidente della Commissione/Alto rappresentante dell'Unione per gli affari esteri e la politica di sicurezza. - Grazie Presidente. Vedo dalla lista degli interventi per questo pomeriggio, per uno dei punti di discussione successivi, cioè la situazione in Ucraina per l'appunto, che l'on. Buonanno non è iscritto a parlare. Lo invito, se forse vuole parlare della situazione in Ucraina, a venire in quest'Aula tra qualche ora e a discutere in quella sede. Io sarò qui, non so se lui ci sarà.

Many of you mentioned things that I mentioned in my opening remarks and that I would like to underline. Thank you for joining our voices in this respect. I think this is a powerful message from this Parliament, and from the European institutions united, and I hope that this message gets to where it has to go.

Some of you mentioned the fact that this is not only important for the country itself, but it is also important for the region. I would also add that it is important for global security and stability, and that I will never ever accept the idea that one has to concentrate solely on crises and human rights violations and conflicts that are close to our borders, because also what happens in places that are apparently far away from us influences our security and our global stability. We have to deal with that, as it is not only our specific responsibility but also in our interest, and I think we should all understand that in this room.

Let me underline one point that was mentioned by many of you and something that Dr Mukwege reminded us of, which is the role of women in this. The victims are always women, girls – younger and younger every time, in every conflict – and children. Let me also mention the fact that there is a specific target. It is not by chance that it is always women who are the first victims or the first weapon in some conflicts. I can assure you that we are not only already working on this aspect in a specific way, in this particular case in the DRC, with support to the victims whether it be medical or legal, on the reform of the security system, and on the reform of the judiciary – because we also have to face that side of the attack against women – but we are going to work more and more on the first victims of conflict and violence who, everywhere in the world, are women and children.

Let me also re-underline the need to be coherent. I thank those of you that raised this when you awarded the Sakharov Prize in this room only a few months ago. This implied that our support is not only to the person, but also to the work, mainly to the work of this person. I share these views, and I think that now today we need to guarantee protection to the person and to their work, and to collective work which is also a sign of hope for the country and for the region.

On Louis Michel’s proposal, let me say that I fully sympathise with this and I will make sure that once I go back to Brussels I will study it with our EU Special Representative for Human Rights, Stavros Lambrinidis, to see in what ways we can support it. Let me also say that I fully support the desire to curb the links between conflict and exploitation of natural resources. I know that the Council is examining the draft resolution that was presented with the communication by the Commission, and you have my personal commitment on that. I cannot guarantee that it will be enough, but I can guarantee that you have my personal commitment on it.

Per finire fatemi usare l'italiano. Cécile Kyenge ha fatto bene a ricordare in quest'Aula oggi che la morte è tornata ieri nel Mediterraneo, e non soltanto ieri.

Colgo l'occasione del fatto che lei ha sollevato questo tema oggi qui per dire che ho appena informato la Commissione della mia intenzione di convocare una riunione straordinaria del gruppo di Commissari per l'azione esterna, insieme al Commissario Avramopoulos, per discutere di come rivedere le nostre politiche per l'immigrazione, per mettere insieme gli strumenti che abbiamo dal punto di vista interno, delle nostre politiche interne, e le nostre politiche esterne rispetto ai paesi di origine e di transito, e ho intenzione di mettere questo tema presto all'ordine del giorno del Consiglio "Affari esteri" dell'Unione europea.

Credo che non possiamo aspettare altre tragedie in mare, dobbiamo prevenirle, e credo anche che l'Unione europea abbia, se ha la volontà politica, gli strumenti per prevenire queste tragedie in mare.

  Der Präsident. - Die Aussprache ist geschlossen.