Brussels, 23/02/2006 (Agence Europe) - On his return from Kinshasa, where he met Defence Minister, Mr Onusumba, the Vice-Predident with responsibility for security matters, Mr Ruberwa, and the President of the Electoral Commission, Abbot Malu Malu, the Chairman of the European Parliament's Defence Sub-committee, Karl vonWogau (CDU) said that he felt a certain number of conditions had to be met prior to sending a European force to help reinforce security during the run-up to general elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). For the German Christian Democrat MEP, the mandate must be clearly formulated and limited to assuring security during the parliamentary and presidential elections. It should cover the election period and not extend beyond four months, and be limited to the capital and its outskirts, particularly the airport, said Mr von Wogau, pointing out that the UN had around 17,000 men in the country and should continue to assure safety, especially in the north-east of the country, in Katanga and the border area with Rwanda. Confirming that it was unlikely the EU would make use of the Berlin+ Agreements and NATO resources (which are better suited to operations where the EU follows on from NATO, as was the case in the Balkans), Mr von Wogau said that he could not at the moment see which Member State would provide the headquarters in Europe nor which would take responsibility for the operational headquarters in the field. He insisted, however, that the operation be carried out jointly by several Member States. Since this would firstly be a deterrent force, combat troops seemed to him to be justified, but the structure of the European force, which could also include gendarmerie-type sections, would depend on how the operation was defined, said the chairman of the Parliament's defence sub-committee. Finally, pointing out that EU troops served also with NATO, the United Nations and Member States own operations, and that it, consequently, had only limited numbers available, the German MEP wondered if it would not be more judicious to concentrate these forces on peace and stability missions in the EU's close neighbourhood.