Strasbourg, 15/11/2006 (AN/NA) - European troops present in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the context of EUFOR have clearly contributed to stabilising the country and to restoring calm during the electoral process there. Such was the conclusion reached by the chairman of the European Parliament's sub-committee on security and defence, German Christian Democrat Karl von Wogau, who was in Kinshasa from 6 to 9 November at the head of an ad hoc parliamentary delegation. While there, he met European troops on the ground as well as representatives of the United Nations mission in the DRC, MONUC. “European troops have acted as a stabilisation force and have prevented violence from escalating”, Mr von Wogau said, recalling the episode when the residence of candidate Jean-Pierre Bemba was attacked by supporters of President Joseph Kabila during August, and when European troops - especially Spanish and Polish - rapidly stabilised the situation and restored calm. Mr Karl von Wogau believes it is now essential to set up a good strategy for withdrawal. The operations mandate, which expires on 30 November, will come to an end well before all EUFOR soldiers have left. It is therefore “ necessary to find a formula that will allow troops to be used on the ground when necessary”, until 10 December, the date when the election results are to be announced, and for the EU to have a “critical mass” of soldiers available. After that date, there will not be enough troops on the ground to be used, the MEP said. At any rate, Mr von Wogau considers the mission should not be extended although a number of MONUC voices were raised along these lines during his stay in Kinshasa. “I do not believe that we should stay any longer as the aim of the mission was to be a deterrent and to make the country secure during the electoral process and that is what EUFOR has been successful in doing”, he said. The only snag, as he sees it, is that the mission's “three stage” chain of command (the forces commander on the ground, in Kinshasa must report to Brussels via the operations headquarter in Potsdam, Germany). “We should revise our experience with this chain of command. I believe it would be easier to head European troops if we did not have to go through national headquarters”, Mr von Wogau said, adding that the planning cell for EU civil-military operations, the EU Military Committee and the EU Military Staff (EUMS) should be made ready for heading such an operation. (dt)