MEPs debated, on Tuesday 27 February, the situation in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where armed violence involving the rebels of the ‘M23’ movement - supported, according to UN experts, by Rwanda - has intensified since the beginning of February.
This escalation of violence has left dozens dead and wounded around Sake, a town in North Kivu around twenty kilometres west of Goma, as reported by AFP on Friday 23 February. The UN agencies have reported major population movements at a time when the refugee camps in the area are already overcrowded. They described the situation as a “humanitarian catastrophe”.
On Tuesday, the European Commission condemned “the actions of all armed groups” and called for demobilisation and disarmament.
“All states in the region must cease any support, direct or indirect, to these armed groups. Rwanda must immediately withdraw its troops from the DRC. It must cease all support to M23 and use all the means at its disposal to pressure this group to stop, withdraw and disarm. Similarly, the DRC must cease any support and cooperation with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and other armed groups”, declared the European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, at the European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg.
“There will be no military solution to this crisis; only an inclusive political dialogue (...) can address the root causes of insecurity and instability”, added Ms Urpilainen, announcing her intention to meet the President of the DRC, Félix Tshisekedi, at the beginning of March in Brussels: She also called for the “comprehensive and rigorous implementation of the decisions taken within the framework of the Luanda and Nairobi processes”.
The de-escalation process concluded between Rwanda and the DRC in November 2022 had initiated the withdrawal of militias, including the M23, in favour of the deployment of the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF). However, the EACRF left the region last December.
Moreover, despite the intensification of the violence, the UN mission in the DRC (Monusco) began its withdrawal from the country on Wednesday 28 February. After 25 years in the country, the departure of 15,000 UN peacekeepers was also agreed by the UN Security Council in December, at Kinshasa’s request.
On Tuesday, the MEPs deplored the ongoing hostilities and human rights violations in North Kivu, calling for new peace negotiations.
A number of MEPs also criticised the Memorandum of Understanding on raw materials signed on Monday 19 February between the EU and Rwanda (see EUROPE 13353/7), highlighting the abundance of natural resources in the Congolese region and its importance for European economic interests. (Original version in French by Bernard Denuit)