In response to the escalating violence in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) (see EUROPE 13577/6), a joint motion for a resolution from the EPP, S&D, ECR, Renew Europe, The Left and Greens/EFA political families in the European Parliament will be put to the vote at midday on Thursday 13 February.
In this text, MEPs urge the European Commission and the EU Council to immediately suspend the EU-Rwanda Memorandum of Understanding on raw materials (see EUROPE 13353/7) “until Rwanda proves that it will cease its interference and export of minerals extracted from areas controlled by the armed rebel group ‘M23’”.
The proposal also includes a call to freeze military and security assistance from the Commission and EU Member States to the Rwandan Armed Forces, “to ensure that they do not contribute, directly or indirectly, to abusive military operations in the east of the DRC ”.
Amendments tabled. While the joint motion for a resolution calls on the Commission, the Member States and the international financial institutions to freeze “direct budgetary support to Rwanda”, subject to certain conditions being met, French MEP Thierry Mariani (PfE) has tabled an amendment proposing a freeze on “all bilateral aid to Rwanda”.
Belgian MEP Sara Mathieu (Greens/EFA) suggested adding an extra paragraph calling on the EU to introduce a trade embargo on all minerals from Rwanda.
See the motion for a resolution: https://aeur.eu/f/fgf (Original version in French by Bernard Denuit)