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EU to extend security mission in Congo for a year


(BRUSSELS2) The decision was awaited. The European Union should extend for one year the assistance mission for the reform of the security sector in the DR Congo (1). It had already extended, in June, for an equivalent period the EUPOL mission, to assist in the reform of the police and the judicial sector. Rather than adopting a simple extension decision,
the joint action (the decision on which the mission is based), has been redesigned, with certain provisions being "clarified". In fact, it is the orientation of the mission that is redesigned in the light of the first results and developments in the country.

The objective set for the mission has changed significantly. Of "
contribute to the completion of the integration of the various armed factions in the DRC and to contribute to Congolese efforts to restructure and rebuild the Congolese army", he became : "assist the Congolese authorities in setting up a defense apparatus capable of guaranteeing the security of the Congolese". This in order to "create the conditions for the implementation in the short and medium terms of the guidelines adopted by the Congolese authorities in the revised plan for the reform of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC).“A plan approved at the end of May by the President of the Republic of Congo.

The detail of the missions of Eusec changes slightly. There is no longer any specific mention of the reform of the chain of payments - an essential action developed during the last actions and which is considered to have been completed - but more extensively of: "theoperationalization of the implementation of the revised FARDC reform plan through the development of detailed plans to rebuild the FARDC, particularly in the following areas: administration, operational capacities, budget and finance, training, logistics, human rights and fight against sexual violence, as well as human resources." Extra attention should be paid to human rights and gender issues" which are mentioned on a separate line.

The mission is more structured. Rather than an office, we now speak of a headquarters in Kinshasa, a more strictly military term. With a direction,
an administrative and logistical support department for the mission, and a department of advisers, at the strategic level, assigned to the various structures of the Ministry of Defence. Most advisers are based in Kinshasa. But secondments are expressly provided for "in the four military regions of eastern DRC". In a way, we have a military technical assistance mission from the EU to the army of another country. The change may not be semantic.
And the significance
of the Congo, one of the largest (and potentially richest) countries in Africa, is not to be denied.

The importance of this mission should not be put into perspective. The army in the Congo is both the solution and a problem. A number of abuses (even rape or murder) in eastern Congo are the work of the "regular" army in the field, with badly kept manpower. The Congolese authorities however promised, last July, to put things in order and henceforth to sanction clearly any breach of discipline. The Congo is also an undeniable factor of stability in this troubled Great Lakes region of Africa. The decision recalls this without ambiguity: The current security situation in the DRC could deteriorate, which would have potentially serious repercussions on the process of strengthening democracy, the rule of law and security at the international and regional level. A continued commitment by the EU in terms of political effort and resources will contribute to establishing stability in the region. »


The amount allocated is slightly increased : from 8,45 million euros for the period of 15 months July 2008-September 2009, we thus go to 10,9 million euros for the period of one year to come (October 2009-September 2010). A sum financed from the EU budget (the Eusec Congo mission is a civilian mission, even if it is largely made up of soldiers and its purpose is the defense of a third country). The mission currently has 60 people. It could be increased, in particular with the contribution of third countries (not
EU).
Ultimate clarification: the mission is currently led by French General Jean-Paul Michel.

Download the draft decision

(1)The mission had been extended in May until the end of September, a short extension for politico-diplomatic reasons: the EU was essentially waiting for certain echoes from Kinshasa, in particular the approval of this revised plan. There could be no question in an EU document of basing the objective on a plan which had not yet been officially approved by the national authorities of the country concerned (Kabila would have had his ears pulled a little to approve this plan...).

Nicolas Gros Verheyde

Chief editor of the B2 site. Graduated in European law from the University of Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne and listener to the 65th session of the IHEDN (Institut des Hautes Etudes de la Défense Nationale. Journalist since 1989, founded B2 - Bruxelles2 in 2008. EU/NATO correspondent in Brussels for Sud-Ouest (previously West-France and France-Soir).

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