A delegation of 11 MEPs led by Hilde Vautmans (Renew Europe, Belgian) arrived in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), on the evening of Tuesday 27 May, for a three-day mission to Kinshasa.
Ms Vautmans is calling for greater EU involvement in Africa. The Chair of the European Parliament’s delegation to the Africa-EU Parliamentary Assembly hopes that this visit will serve as a “reminder of the EU’s strong support” for respect for the territorial integrity of the DRC, which is facing an offensive by the M23 rebel group, backed by Rwanda, in the Kivu region (see EUROPE 13614/10).
“We want to listen to see what more we can do, but also defend what the EU is already doing”, she said in an interview at the European Parliament on Monday.
From Wednesday to Friday, the MEPs will meet the EU ambassador to the DRC, Nicolas Berlanga, the EU Special Representative for the Great Lakes Region, Johan Borgstam, as well as a number of Congolese government ministers and the President, Félix Tshisekedi. Visits and meetings with representatives of civil society and international organisations are also planned. (Original version in French by Bernard Denuit)