MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

25.9.2007

to wind up the debate on statements by the Council and Commission
pursuant to Rule 103(2) of the Rules of Procedure
by Ana Maria Gomes, Alain Hutchinson and Marie-Arlette Carlotti
on behalf of the PSE Group
on the ESDP operation in Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR)

B6‑0366/2007

European Parliament resolution on the ESDP operation in Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR)

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the conflict in Darfur and the wider regional impact, in particular on the eastern part of Chad and the northern part of the Central African Republic (CAR),

–  having regard to UN Security Council Resolution 1706 of 31 August 2006, which pointed out that regional security aspects must be addressed to achieve lasting peace in Darfur,

–  having regard to the conclusions of the Council for General Affairs and External Relations meeting of 23-24 July 2007, asking 'its competent bodies to continue planning with a view to a possible decision on a bridging operation, in the framework of the European Security and Defence Policy, in support of a multidimensional UN presence in eastern Chad and north-eastern Central African Republic with a view to improving security in those areas',

–  having regard to UN Security Council Resolution 1769(2007) of 31 July 2007 establishing, for an initial period of 12 months, an AU/UN hybrid operation in Darfur (UNAMID),

–  having regard to the report presented on 10 August 2007 by the UN Secretary-General, recommending that a multi-dimensional presence be deployed in eastern Chad and north-eastern Central African republic, in order to improve the security of refugee and displaced populations, facilitate the supply of humanitarian aid and create the conditions for reconstruction and development work in these areas,

–  having regard to the Arusha meeting on peace in Darfur, which was held from 3 to 6 August 2007,

–  having regard to the signing in N'Djamena on 13 August 2007, in the presence of the international community and of the Chadian Head of State, President Idriss Deby Itno, of the political agreement with a view to the reinforcement of the democratic process in Chad by all relevant Chadian political parties in the majority and in the opposition,

–  having regard to the 27 August 2007 Presidential statement of the UN Security Council confirming its readiness to establish a UN mission in Chad and welcoming the EU's intention to provide support in the form of a military ESDP mission,

–  having regard to the adoption by the Council on 10 September of the 'crisis management concept' by written procedure,

–  having regard to its resolution of 12 July 2007 on the situation in Darfur,

–  having regard to Rule 103(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.  whereas currently, due to the conflict in Darfur and its cross-border consequences, about 238 000 refugees from Sudan, 44 600 refugees from the Central African Republic and 170 000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) are hosted in 12 camps along Chad's eastern border with Sudan,

B.  concerned at the security situation in the eastern part of Chad which has deteriorated since 2006 owing to clashes between Chadian security forces and Chadian rebels and incursions of Janjaweed militias and armed groups from Sudan, to which banditry and attacks on humanitarian organisations must be added,

C.  whereas civilian populations in the north-east of the Central African Republic have also experienced attacks by rebel forces from Sudan,

D.  whereas a contribution must be made to securing this region affected by the Darfur conflict, as part of a global and regional approach,

E  whereas this operation, in the context of the European Security and Defence Policy, should form part of the overall framework of EU commitments in support of a resolution of the Darfur crisis, by addressing its destabilising effects on neighbouring countries,

F.  whereas long-term stability in Sudan, Chad and the Central African Republic calls for respect for human rights, the rule of law and good governance,

G.  noting the efforts by regional actors to find a solution to the internal conflict inside Chad with the groups which did not sign the previous agreement, and believing that the international community must encourage and fund an initiative aimed at restoring inter-communal conflict resolution mechanisms to build peace and facilitate voluntary return,

H.  whereas a number of EU Member States have already agreed to take part in the operation, and whereas the participation of third countries is also being envisaged,

I.  whereas the Chadian and Central African Republic authorities have given the UN Secretary-General confirmation of their agreement to the deployment of this EU multi-dimensional presence,

1.  Considers that coordinated efforts between the EU and the UN can contribute to creating the conditions that would enable the different parties to the conflict in the broader region of Darfur/eastern Chad/northern CAR to find a political solution which would put an end to the insecurity in this region, thus facilitating the voluntary return of the refugees and internally displaced persons to their villages of origin;

2.  Welcomes the signing in N'Djamena on 13 August 2007 by all relevant Chadian political parties of an agreement aimed at reinforcing the democratic process in Chad;

3.  Welcomes UN Security Resolution 1769(2007), which authorises the deployment of an AU/UN force of 26 000 soldiers and policemen in Darfur, which will contribute to pacifying the whole region in conjunction with the deployment of a UN police force and the planned ESDP operation in the eastern part of Chad and the northern part of the CAR;

4.  Supports the efforts of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon to find a negotiated solution to the conflict in Darfur by promoting contacts between the Sudanese authorities and the different rebel groups;

5.  Reiterates its support for the political process under the AU/UN joint mediation and ensuring full coordination of all initiatives with the AU and UN Special Envoys;

6.   Recalls that no peacekeeping mission in the eastern part of Chad and the northern part of the CAR can be successful without a genuine reconciliation process; calls, therefore, on the governments of Chad and the CAR to initiate an all-inclusive political dialogue in each country; also calls on the international community to monitor concrete progress and to engage in a long-term commitment to bring lasting peace and security to the region; recommends, therefore, that the EU force include a significant number of human rights, rule of law and political affairs personnel to begin to facilitate the peace process on the ground;

7.  Supports the launching of an ESDP military operation in the eastern part of Chad and the northern part of the CAR in order to secure these two regions, thus reinforcing the effectiveness of the AU/UN operation in Darfur and bringing support to the UN police force which should be deployed in the eastern part of Chad to train and mentor the Chadian police forces, whose task will be to secure the camps and villages and control the border areas;

8.  Notes that this military operation, which may involve up to 4 000 soldiers, will last one year, with an assessment to be made at mid-term;

9.  Recommends that this ESDP military operation in the eastern part of Chad and the northern part of the CAR, which is aimed at guaranteeing the necessary security conditions in order for the humanitarian activities to proceed, be subject to the following conditions:

• a)the European force (EUFOR) should work as a deterrent, which means that it must have a robust mandate, in accordance with Chapter VII, and clear rules of engagement allowing the use of force when necessary, and, if required, through pre-emptive action, especially in the event of attacks against civilians, camps and villages, humanitarian workers and for self-defence, in order to
  • –contribute to the protection of civilians in danger, in particular refugees and displaced persons;
  • –facilitate the supply of humanitarian aid and the free movement of humanitarian personnel;
  • –contribute to the protection of UN personnel, premises and equipment;
  • –put an end to cross-border attacks by securing the Sudan/Chad border;
• b)at the same time, EUFOR must act in a strictly neutral and impartial way by not letting itself get involved in fights between governmental authorities and rebel groups;
• c)the composition of EUFOR should be diverse and Member States should contribute the necessary troops as soon as possible;
• d)to deter any potential aggressor and to ensure a clear distinction between military troops and humanitarian actors, EUFOR must be visible and equipped appropriately; it must be able to conduct long-range patrols with armoured vehicles and helicopters (including attack helicopters);
• e)to act efficiently, EUFOR must be able to quickly collect the information it needs about any potential threat: to this end, EUFOR should be able to deploy adequate means and resources;
• f)in case of emergency, EUFOR must be able to send its soldiers where they are needed: mobility will be a key factor in the success of this operation; the Member States must therefore provide EUFOR with transport helicopters in order to enable it to react quickly to any threat, thus maximising its deterrent role;
• g)in full compliance with the principles of International Humanitarian Law, EUFOR should not become involved or interfere in the tasks performed by the NGOs present in Chad and the CAR so as not to endanger them;
• h)EUFOR must establish effective coordination with UNAMID in order to secure the area under its responsibility in the most efficient way;
• i)a clear handover strategy must be defined together with the host countries before the deployment of EUFOR; this exit strategy, which should, from the very beginning, provide for the replacement of EUFOR by another multinational force, could be revised, if necessary, following the assessment to be made after 6 months, in order to provide for the successful conclusion of its mandate and the security of the troops committed;

10.  Calls on the Council to inform Parliament on a regular basis, especially through its Subcommittee on Security and Defence, on the different phases of the planning and conduct of the operation, including the 'lessons learned' process;

11.  Regrets that this ESDP operation cannot be conducted, for many reasons, from the newly established operations centre of the European Union; hopes that this situation will change with the new Reform Treaty which should make the ESDP more efficient;

12.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the AU and the Co-Presidents of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly.