Despite a new incursion by the armed group ‘M23’ into the province of South Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Sunday 16 February, the European Commission limited itself on Monday to reiterating its previous positions (see EUROPE 13566/8).
“The EU is urgently considering all the tools that we have at our disposal, and the ongoing violation of the DRC’s territorial integrity will not remain unanswered”, a spokesman for the European External Action Service told a press conference.
“I cannot prejudge at this stage what might or might not be the level, magnitude, or scope of our reaction”, he added.
However, calls for concrete and “coherent” sanctions from the EU have intensified since the end of January, following an initial key offensive by the rebel group and its Rwandan supporters (see EUROPE 13573/1, 13569/19).
After the assault on Goma on 27 January, the rebels took control of Bukavu three weeks later, further strengthening their hold on eastern Congolese territory. According to the UN, 3,000 people were killed in the recent clashes.
“We are alarmed by the news of Rwandan-backed M23 forces seizing Kavumu Airport and entering Bukavu. This is a clear fact of ignoring strong international appeals for [a] ceasefire”, said the spokesman.
The situation is due to be examined by EU Member States on Monday 24 February, while the European Parliament voted last Thursday for a resolution calling for immediate sanctions against Rwanda (see EUROPE 13579/12).
Parliament’s resolution has been “acknowledged” by the European Commission, the spokesman said. (Original version in French by Bernard Denuit)