Sarkozy drives the point home against a Eufor Goma operation

(B2) Nicolas Sarkozy, closing the European summit of December 11 and 12, was very clear on the advisability of a European operation in the Congo. Refusing to see it as a "failure" of the European defense policy, as I had called it, he replied, rather embarrassed, finding all the justifications for not starting a European operation:

« 1) In the DRC, there are 17 UN soldiers, the largest UN operation. And apparently only 000 serve. So with 800 more, will we solve the question? » « There may also be problems of organization and not only of numbers. »

2) “Angola is ready to commit, under cover of the UN. So isn't it better not to engage regional forces than European forces? added the president, making explicit reference to the reproaches that arose during the operation in Chad. And to add what seems to be the thread of his thought: " We can not do everything. We can't always be everywhere. There are limits. ». Before resuming:  "But we don't want to do anything. “If it is to help with an airlift, for food or a humanitarian operation”, why not he seemed to say. (*)

NB: the French President and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bernard Kouchner, will be in Congo at the beginning of January to meet the main protagonists of the region.

A discussion at the top

A remark which seems to reflect the content of the discussion which lasted approximately 3/4 hours at the Foreign Ministers' dinner on the evening of December 11. Each state, it seems, asked questions about the situation without really engaging more. Basically, little change compared to the debate during the Foreign Affairs Council on 8 December. Several ministers seemed taken aback by the contradictory reports which seem to be coming from the field, on the reality of the humanitarian situation, and also on the state of MONUC. " We receive so many reports from MONUC, on its reinforcement, logistics..., that we don't have a clear view of what MONUC is. No one can tell us exactly what state MONUC is in” confirms Karel de Gucht, the Belgian Minister for Foreign Affairs. Each " feels that something should be done but we don't know what (to do) ". We say to ourselves that we cannot refuse to intervene, " it would not be serious, it would be a shame”. But then when we move on to the feasibility, “who and how to send troops”... it becomes more difficult, very difficult.

It is true that the presence of Louis Michel in the region did not really help to clarify the debate, contrary to what one might have expected. But instead added to the confusion…” When you have a commissioner who explains on the spot that there is no real need for a military intervention “, it is even more difficult to understand what is really necessary, specifies a connoisseur of the file.

(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)

(*) Full text by Nicolas Sarkozy

On the question of the Congo. I also want to pay tribute to everything that Bernard Kouchner has done in this area. The problem is not at all that Europe does not want to take part in it, Europe is ready to take part in it. I make two comments. The first is that currently in the DRC there are 17 UN soldiers, it is the largest UN operation. I'm sorry, when there are already 000 soldiers and it is explained to me that there are only 17 serving, I wonder if it is necessary to send 000 more, with 800! First remark. It's a question.

Second remark. We put DRC, Rwanda, Angola. I myself spoke on the telephone with President Dos Santos, who is a regional actor, who told me: "the Angolan army, whose efficiency you know, is ready to commit to peace on condition that it is under UN mandate. Question that I ask: "for the sake of efficiency, is it better, if reinforcements are needed - I remind you that there are 84 aircraft over there -, is it isn't it better to first call on regional forces, which are almost ready and installed, than on European forces? »

Last point. As for the European forces, we are in Chad. Now, after having fought so that we are, with Bernard Kouchner, in Chad to stabilize this region of the world, with Darfur next door where everyone has told us: it's a new operation in quotation marks "France - Africa” from France. I don't see how we could be blamed for not wanting to be present in the DRC.

Finally, if it is a question of helping by an airlift for food, humanitarian aid, why not? And then, if you want me to get to the bottom of my thoughts, one day we will have to discuss the presence of the French armies, for example in Côte d'Ivoire, where I await the elections with great impatience; that we are redeploying to soldiers in the service of peace in other regions of Africa where, moreover, we know our responsibilities. We cannot do everything. I told the Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, he does it anyway. He is a man I support and appreciate. There may be organizational issues and not simply issues of quantity or numbers.

To say that is not to lose interest in the DRC where, moreover, we have planned with Bernard Kouchner to go in January 2009 and I will have the opportunity to say more. It's really not disinterest. I had President (Rwandan) Kagame, President (Congolese) Kabila, President (Angolan) Dos Santos. Bernard went there. We try to find the best solution. Nor can we be everywhere, always, without limit. And above all, maybe there are places where there is not a UN soldier. Go there where there are 17 UN soldiers…Between that and doing nothing, there is a balance that we are in the process of finding. We don't want to do nothing. * * *