A Strategy for the Great Lakes

(BRUSSELS2) The High Representative and the Commission adopted, on June 19, a joint strategy for the countries of the Great Lakes region. Strategy with 5 axes: 1. Address governance issues, particularly with regard to security sector reform, human rights and the rule of law, 2. Guarantee sustainable security, particularly in supporting MONUSCO (the United Nations mission in Congo) in its future role (intervention brigade) 3. Fight against poverty and rebuild the economy, 4. Restore trust between neighbors, 5. Establish a mechanism for reliable international support.

The need to pursue security sector reform with partners

« Security sector reform will require clear commitments from the government and strong coordination among all DRC partners to ensure a coherent platform for intervention, without undermining bilateral cooperation. » underlines the communication. “Meeting other partners”, such as South Africa, Angola and China, will be necessary. When the EUSEC/EUPOL missions “ will end, other Union instruments will be mobilized, certain activities will be abandoned or transferred to the DRC or to its other partners Says the document.

The continuation of EUPOL and EUSEC

On the reforms of the army and the police, the document wants to be cautious: it could be considered " support " in part » a set of coherent measures, such as « the provision of advice at the strategic level, the establishment of appropriate training systems, designed at the national level, or even the improvement of human resources management”. Last course of action, “ depending on the efforts made by the DRC to reform the security sector, it could also be envisaged to support a disarmament, demobilization and reintegration approach (NB: DDR) based on local communities” .

(NGV)

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