MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo

10.9.2013 - (2013/2822(RSP))

with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
pursuant to Rule 122 of the Rules of Procedure

Marietje Schaake, Sarah Ludford, Ramon Tremosa i Balcells, Robert Rochefort, Vilija Blinkevičiūtė, Graham Watson, Hannu Takkula, Johannes Cornelis van Baalen on behalf of the ALDE Group

See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B7-0390/2013

B7‑0403/2013

European Parliament resolution on the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo

(2013/2822(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to Article 122 of its Rules of Procedure,

 

– having regard to the Statement by EU High Representative Catherine Ashton on the situation in North Kivu of 30 August 2013, of 10 July and 7 June 2012

 

– having regard to the ACP-EU JPA resolution on the situation of instability and insecurity

in the Great Lakes Region and, in particular, in the Eastern Democratic Republic of

Congo, adopted at it meeting in Paramaribo (Suriname) from 27-29 November 2012,

 

– having regard to the Council conclusions of Council conclusions on the Great Lakes Region, 22 July 2013, and of 10 December, 19 November and 25 June 2012 on the situation in Eastern DRC;

 

– having regard to UN Security Council Resolutions 2053 (27 June 2012) on the situation in the DRC, 1925 (2010), 1856 (2008) which specifies the mandate of the UN mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) and Resolution 2098 (2013) which renewed MONUSCO’s mandate

 

– having regard to the reports by human rights organizations on the serious human rights violations committed in the east of DRC,

 

– having regard to its previous resolutions on DRC, particularly that of 13 December 2012,

 

A. whereas the violence in in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is escalating with the resumption of hostilities between the M23 and the Government Troops which has resulted to loss of thousands of lives, innumerous injures including attacks on civilians and United Nations peacekeepers; whereas the humanitarian situation remains critical;

 

B. whereas a UN peacekeeper was killed and 10 others were wounded on 28 August during an attack of the M23 rebel group in the Kibati heights in North Kivu as the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) supported the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC);

 

C. whereas UNSC resolution 2098 (2013) of 28 March 2013 extended until 31 March 2014 the mandate of MONUSCO and created, on an exceptional basis, a specialized “intervention brigade” within the operation’s existing 19,815‑strong force;

 

D. whereas the intervention brigade within MONUSCO is tasked with carrying out targeted offensive operations, with or without the FARDC, against armed groups that threaten peace in eastern DRC, and also with neutralizing armed groups, reducing the threat posed to State authority and civilian security and making space for stabilization activities;

 

E. whereas more than 2.7 million Congolese people living in the areas affected by the fighting have been internally displaced and 420 000 have fled into neighboring countries, including over one million displaced in 2012 alone, where they are living in poor conditions;

 

F. whereas the non-prosecution by DRC of those responsible for human rights violations and war crimes promotes the climate of impunity and encourages the perpetration of fresh crimes; ;

 

G. whereas the European Union is contributing to the restoration of the justice and security (police and army) sectors and seeking to make them function well by means of its financial and technical assistance and by training personnel within the framework of the EUSEC RD and EUPOL RD missions;

 

H. whereas DRC possesses an abundance of natural resources and whereas the persistent illegal exploitation of these resources, particularly in the east of DRC, which moreover are often under the control of armed military groups or other armed group, helps to finance and perpetuate the conflict and remains a source of insecurity for the region as a whole; ;

 

I. whereas rising unemployment, the social crisis, the food crisis, the inadequacy of basic services, the impoverishment of the population and environmental degradation are also partly responsible for the region's instability; whereas these problems require a comprehensive development plan and strategy;

 

J. whereas it is necessary to deal with the consequences of the conflict, particularly by means of demilitarisation, review the local governance, demobilisation and reintegration of ex-combatants, repatriation of refugees, resettlement of people who have been displaced within their own country and the implementation of viable development programmes;;

 

1. Expresses its strong concern about the recent escalation of violence in the east of DRC, which has serious political, economic, social, humanitarian and security consequences in DRC and throughout the region;

 

2. Strongly condemns the attacks by the M23, and other armed groups in particularly FDLR, which have killed several people, including a Tanzanian peacekeeper, and injured several others; calls on DRC authorities to swiftly investigate these incidents and bring the perpetrators to justice;

 

3. Calls on the M23 and the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), among other rebel groups, to immediately and permanently disband and lay down their arms and encourages all parties concerned to pursue a comprehensive political process aimed at addressing the root causes of the conflict (local governance, lands issues and citizenship);

 

4. Calls for the review of local governance, through the holding of local elections;

 

5. Calls for the improvement of discipline and respect of the chain of command within the FARDC;

 

6. Calls for a thorough investigation by the Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism (EJVM) into the sources of the mortar shells and bombs from DRC territory landing in neighboring Rwanda;

 

7. Calls on all regional actors concerned to exercise utmost restraint and refrain from any acts or statements that could lead to a further deterioration of the situation;

 

8. Calls on the governments of DRC and neighboring countries to return to Kamapla in order to conclude talks that have lasted too long; Calls for the respect of all provisions contained in the PSC framework agreement; Stresses that this framework agreement is not limited to the use of the force through the Brigade;

 

9. Praises the active steps taken by the MONUSCO to implement its mandate, in particular the protection of civilians, and encourages the continuation of these efforts; urges in particular the UN Security Council to take all necessary actions in line with Security Council resolution 2098 (2013) to protect civilians in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo;

 

10. Condemns all acts of violence and all human rights violations in the east of DRC and in the Great Lakes region, and expresses its solidarity with the people of DRC afflicted by the war; calls on all the forces participating in the conflicts in the east of DRC to respect human rights and international humanitarian law, to cease all attacks on civilians, particularly women and children, and to afford humanitarian agencies access and protection which are coming to the assistance of the suffering civilian population;

 

11. Urges that the perpetrators of human rights violations, war crimes, crimes against humanity, sexual violence against women and the conscription of child soldiers be reported, identified, prosecuted and punished in accordance with national and international criminal law;

 

12. Calls for efforts to be made at both national and international level to increase the authority of the State and the rule of law in DRC, particularly in the fields of governance and security, including in close cooperation with the European Union military assistance mission (EUSEC) and the Union's police assistance mission (EUPOL), which should be continued in order to consolidate peace and security both in the country and in the Great Lakes region;

 

13. Considers that transparent access to and control over the natural resources of DRC are indispensable for the sustainable development of the country; calls, therefore, on the African Union and the countries of the Great Lakes region to take more measures to combat illicit exploitation of and trading in natural resources, and on the European Union and the whole of the international community to step up cooperation with DRC in this field;

 

14. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Commission Vice-President / EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security policy, the African Union, the governments of the countries of the Great Lakes region, the President, Prime Minister and Parliament of the DRC, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, the UN Security Council and the UN Human Rights Council.