Summary: EU Presidency Statement: UN Security Council Briefing on the Congo/EUFOR (9 January 2007: New York)
Statement on behalf of the European Union, by H.E. Mr. Thomas Matussek, Permanent Representative of Germany, Briefing on the Democratic Republic of the Congo/EUFOR RD Congo, UN Security Council, New York
Mr. President,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The candidate countries Turkey and Croatia align themselves with this statement.
Mr. President, I would like to thank you for giving the European Union the opportunity to report on the implementation of the mandate of EUFOR RD Congo. I will make some introductory remarks and then ask you to give the floor to the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the European Union, Mr. Javier Solana.
A year ago, in late December 2005, the United Nations requested the European Union to provide additional security in the Democratic Republic of the Congo while the country went through the election process. The EU - after close consultation with the government of the DRC - agreed to support MONUC and to assist in ensuring security in the interest of a successful transition. In April 2006, the Security Council adopted Resolution 1671, which authorized the European force. In July, EUFOR RD Congo
was launched as an autonomous EU-led operation within the framework of the European Security and Defence Policy, with a total of 21 member states participating. As envisaged in Resolution 1671, EUFOR RD Congo was concluded after four months, at the end of November.
Following operation "Artemis" in Bunia in summer 2003, this operation was another milestone of co-operation between the European Union and the UN in the field of peacekeeping in Africa. The EU and the UN - both at the level of headquarters and of the missions in the DRC - worked together intensively before and during the operation. Our joint efforts helped to provide stability, defuse tensions and deter potential spoilers during critical stages of the election process. The lessons drawn from
this experience will be important for our future partnership in the field of crisis management, which is growing ever more intensive. This increasing co-operation must be accompanied by appropriate mechanisms of dialogue and exchange, issues we should look into in the coming months.
Mr. President,
The European Union warmly welcomes the success of the first democratic elections in the DRC in more than 40 years and congratulates the Congolese people on this major step towards the stabilisation and the reconstruction in a spirit of national reconciliation. The European Union calls on all political players to engage constructively in the post-transition process.
The European Union recalls the substantial efforts it has undertaken in support of the DRC at the political level as well as through instruments of the European Security and Defence Policy, the EU Electoral Observation Mission and the assistance provided through the European Development Fund and, bilaterally, by EU Member States. The EU remains fully committed to continuing its support for the consolidation of stability and reconstruction, notably through assuming a coordinating role for
international efforts in the security sector, in close cooperation with the United Nations, to support the Congolese authorities in this field. It is essential that future cooperation be based on the new authorities' strong commitment to good governance and to strengthening the rule of law. Appropriate flexible mechanisms will need to be developed with the new Congolese government to ensure effective co-ordination of support and political dialogue.
Mr. President,
In concluding, let me thank the people, the government and the political actors in the DRC for their confidence in the European force, which demonstrated its neutrality and effectiveness throughout its mandate. The EU is also grateful to the government of Gabon, which allowed the European force to use Gabon as an important base for the operation. We appreciated the excellent co-operation with the United Nations both in New York and in the DRC, and with the authorities of the DRC. We hope the
successful elections will be the first step towards a brighter future for the Congolese people and the entire region of the Great Lakes.
Thank you, Mr. President.
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