MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

15.3.2006

to wind up the debate on the statement by the Council
pursuant to Rule 103(2) of the Rules of Procedure
by Angelika Beer, Frithjof Schmidt, Marie-Hélène Aubert, Bart Staes and Raül Romeva i Rueda,
on the Democratic Republic of Congo

B6‑0195/2006

European Parliament resolution on the Democratic Republic of Congo

The European Parliament,

• -having regard to its previous resolutions on the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo,
• -having regard to its previous resolutions on the illegal exploitation of natural resources in the Democratic Republic of Congo,
• -having regard to the EU military operation in the DRC, 'Artemis', conducted in Bunia from June to September 2003,
• -having regard to the EU police mission in Kinshasa, 'Europol Kinshasa', launched in April 2005 with the objective of providing advice to the Integrated Police Unit under the Congolese line of command,
• -having regard to the EU advisory and assistance mission for DRC security reform (EUSEC-RDC),
• -having regard to Rule 103(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

• A.recalling that a government of national unity was set up in 2003 for a transition period of two years in order to organise free and democratic elections, and that this period will come to an end in June 2006 after being extended for a year,
• B.whereas the DRC's transitional parliament has adopted a bill giving the Independent Electoral Commission 110 days to organise national democratic elections, and noting that the constitution requires that the elections be held before 30 June 2006,
• C.whereas the UN has requested the EU to send a military force to secure the upcoming June election in the Democratic Republic of Congo; regretting that the mandate of this operation is not yet clearly defined in terms of how the EU can make a positive contribution in this very big country,
• D.regretting that the UN's request for EU military assistance during the period of the elections in the DRC did not originate from the DRC's transitional government,
• E.whereas the constitutional referendum was conducted with minimal disturbance in December 2005, and the Independent Electoral Commission has established more than 40 000 polling stations,
• F.whereas the so-called EU 'battle groups' are not to be operational so far,
• G.recalling that the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) has a total of 16 820 personnel, including 15 019 military troops, 729 military observers and 1072 police, sent to build the peace process in the country,
• H.whereas according to UN figures the conflict in the DRC has caused an estimated 3.5 million deaths and about 3.4 million internal displacements since it started in 1998,
• I.whereas the issue of illegal exploitation of the country's natural resources, some of which find their way to other countries, including EU Member States, is one of the factors fuelling and exacerbating the conflict in the DRC,
• J.concerned at the situation in Ituri (North-East), Kivu (South-East) and Katanga (South), where fighting between the army and armed groups has led to tens of thousands of displacements,
• K.whereas the national disarmament, demobilisation and integration process which should be implemented by the transitional government is facing serious difficulties, partially due to delays in the payment of demobilisation allowances,
• L.whereas the presence of armed groups from Rwanda and Uganda on DRC territory continues to pose a threat to the region in general,
• 1.Regrets the fact that the UN's request for EU military assistance during the period of the elections in the DRC did not originate from the Congolese transitional government;
• 2.Calls on the Council to appear before Parliament to present a clear proposal with a strong mandate, fully based on a well-established scenario of needs, including a timetable; notes that for a possible EU military mission to the DRC there is a need for a specific EU mandate based on the UN Charter;
• 3.Considers that there is to date no basis for a decision on an EU mission to the DRC;
• 4.Holds the view that if there is any possible EU military operation it should in principle be limited to the period of the elections;
• 5.Calls on the governments of the region to reinforce their cooperation in enforcing the arms embargo in the DRC and to combat crossborder trafficking in illicit small arms;
• 6.Notes that the president of the DRC signed the bill mandating the Independent Electoral Commission to organise the presidential and legislative elections before 30 June 2006, and that these elections will end the mandate of the transitional government;
• 7.Is aware of the challenge which the Independent Electoral Commission is facing to organise and properly conduct the presidential and legislative elections in the country's 40 000 polling stations;
• 8.Calls on the EU to provide adequate logistic support for the organisation and monitoring of the upcoming election in June;
• 9.Considers that post-electoral stability will mainly depend on the cooperation of all political parties and the population; calls, therefore, on all political parties to participate genuinely in the election and build a parliamentary democracy on the result obtained;
• 10.Calls for the natural resources of the DRC to be exploited in a transparent and legal form to the benefit of the country and its population, and considers that the governments of the Great Lakes region should promote fair and lawful natural resources trade among themselves;
• 11.Calls on the EU Member States to implement the recommendation of the UN Panel of Experts on the illegal exploitation of the DRC's natural resources, and to impose sanctions on those persons and companies whose participation in the pillage has been proven;
• 12.Calls on the DRC government to put in place a system of transparent regulatory controls on revenue from natural resources, allocation of government contracts, public enterprise management, and payment of salaries, including those of the military and police;
• 13.Condemns the activities of armed groups operating in the territory of the DRC and the Great Lakes region, and calls on the countries of the region, acting at national level, to disarm, demobilise, and cooperate in repatriation;
• 14.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the transitional government of the DRC, and the UN Secretary-General.