During a debate in the European Parliament on Tuesday 10 February, a number of MEPs called on the European Commission to do more to ensure respect for the territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which is the target of incursions by the Rwandan-backed armed group M23/AFC.
Speaking on behalf of the Renew Europe group, Hilde Vautmans (Belgian) recalled that the European Parliament had adopted a resolution calling for “an end to the plundering of the DRC” (see EUROPE 13579/12).
“Unfortunately, the Commission is doing exactly the opposite. It continues to fund Rwanda, which is now openly rolling out its caravan of death on Congolese soil. Don’t say you don’t know, because the United Nations experts and humanitarian organisations are constantly reporting the situation”, the MEP told the European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, who was present in the Strasbourg Chamber on behalf of the High Representative of the Union, Kaja Kallas.
On behalf of the Christian Democrats, Wouter Beke (EPP, Belgian) warned against a “particularly dangerous new phase” in the conflict, marked in particular by the use of drones, and called for the suspension of the memorandum of understanding on critical minerals concluded between the EU and Rwanda (see EUROPE 13603/11).
Francisco Assis (S&D, Portuguese), representing the Social Democrats, called for more humanitarian aid and sanctions against those responsible for atrocities, while Paolo Inselvini (ECR, Italian) insisted on the protection of civilians and Christian communities.
Speaking for the Patriots for Europe group, Philippe Olivier (French) also denounced the absence of European sanctions against Kigali despite the European Parliament resolution (see EUROPE 13579/12).
On behalf of The Left, Marc Botenga (Belgian) criticised the “neo-colonial” logic of competition for critical minerals and called on Europe to fully respect Congolese sovereignty.
For her part, Ms Lahbib assured that the EU intended to step up the pressure to encourage de-escalation, reiterating that Rwanda should cease its support and withdraw its troops from the DRC.
The Commissioner noted that implementation of the memorandum of understanding on sustainable raw materials with Kigali had “never begun”, unlike the one concluded with Kinshasa, arguing that this instrument should above all serve as a framework for dialogue on the traceability and transparency of minerals, with the aim of supporting a peaceful resolution of the conflict in compliance with international law.
No MEPs from the Greens/EFA group took the floor during the debate. (Original version in French by Bernard Denuit)