The European foreign affairs ministers, meeting in Brussels on Monday 14 November, expressed their deep concern about the renewed tensions in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the border with Rwanda (see EUROPE 13057/15), and the risk of destabilisation of the entire Great Lakes region, but also about the interest of a renewed EU strategy with a strategic region of Africa.
“The African Great Lakes are a geostrategic hotspot. This region can become a power house for the development of the entire African continent. There are certainly many challenges, but also many opportunities”, underlined the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, at the end of the session, referring to the possibilities of “a strong potential which is very much unmatched, (a potential) that can make a difference”.
Announcing that this EU strategy for the Great Lakes will be adopted at the next EU Foreign Affairs Council, he said: “We will be realistic in our ambition and focus on sectors where we have real value added”. Thus, the aim will be to “support the region in moving from tension to confidence, from trafficking to trade and from competition to regional integration”.
The Finnish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Pekko Haavisto, referring to “President Kenyatta’s involvement in the negotiations” to try to achieve peace, spoke of a “light at the end of the tunnel”. He said that “having a special EU envoy for the Great Lakes would also be a good idea”.
Belgian Minister Hadja Lahbib, who had asked for the item to be included on the agenda of the session to address “our new strategy, particularly in Central Africa” recalled that the conflict over the past 25 years had claimed more than five million lives.
She said she had the opportunity to talk to her Rwandan and Congolese counterparts and called on them both to return to the negotiating table, to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict.
For her, “the European Union must be more present in this region of the world, which has the impression of being somewhat forgotten today”.
Among Belgium’s concrete proposals, she cited “the strengthening of security, police and military training, but also disarmament, return and reintegration of communities”.
“The Great Lakes region is subject to chronic instability. We believe that the European Union can do a lot to help”, said the French Secretary of State, Laurence Boone.
According to her, after Emmanuel Macron’s meeting with Rwandan President Paul Kagame and DRC President Felix Tshisekedi (in New York in September on the sidelines of the 77th UN General Assembly: editor’s note), “it is really important to us that the EU can get involved, can help with the stability of this region”. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)