MEPs could not find words harsh enough in Strasbourg on Wednesday 5 October to denounce the violence of Joseph Kabila’s regime and the attempts by the president of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to remain in power, in defiance of the constitution and his people, as Italian MEP Elena Valenciano (S&D) put it.
The MEPs unanimously called for the organisation of free, credible and transparent presidential elections as soon as possible.
A veritable bloodbath, a humanitarian catastrophe, a wide-scale refugee crisis, a tragic situation, violence that has become the norm in the Kivu area of East Congo. These words kept coming up during a debate in plenary about the abyss into which the DRC is sinking. Congolese citizens deserve better, said Luxembourger Charles Goerens (ALDE), adding that the solution had to come from within.
MEPs are extremely concerned at this chaos and regretted that the country, wallowing in misery, has fallen prey to daily massacres to the absolute indifference of the international community.
Criticism converged on the Congolese president who, the day before, had announced a postponement of the presidential election to some undetermined date in the future, although his term of office expires on 19 December 2016 and elections were supposed to take place in November. There will not be elections until 2018 – he should resign, said Mark Demesmaeker (ECR, Belgium). The dialogue set up by Joseph Kabila’s majority was described as a "masquerade".
MEPs called on the EU to throw its full weight behind ensuring respect for the constitutional pact, setting a definite date for the elections and encouraging genuine dialogue between all sides. The EU was also invited to turn its fine words into action.
Ivan Korčok, a Slovak minister speaking on behalf of EU High Representative for Foreign
Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini (who had remained in Brussels for an international conference on Afghanistan), said in his introductory talks that he wanted to see all DRC players involved in constructive dialogue. He is anxious to see a calmer political climate in the country along with respect of human rights.
In response to MEPs asking whether the EU would issue sanctions against the Kabila regime (under Article 96 of the Cotonou Agreement, following political dialogue under Article 8) and targeted sanctions against individuals in order to stand united with the United States and France, Korčok said that the EU would examine all the instruments at its disposal for avoiding violence and incitement of violence in the country. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)