Brussels, 03/11/2008 (Agence Europe) - In the view of the EU, the political resolution to the crisis in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is the absolute priority, but all the options remain on the table, including the military option in support of UNMIK to stabilise the area. Bernard Kouchner, the French Foreign Affairs Minister and Javier Solana, the High Representative for CFSP, confirmed this view to the press in Marseille on 3 November, at the occasion of the informal meeting of the Foreign Affairs Ministers of the EU (Gymnich).
This took place the day after the visit to DRC, Rwanda and Dar Es Salam of Mr Kouchner, his UK counterpart David Milligan and the Belgian Minister, Karel de Gucht. Louis Michel, the Commissioner for Development had previously obtained an agreement from the presidents of Congo, Joseph Kabila and Rwanda, Paul Kagamé for the holding of a new "Peace Summit", this week in Nairobi, under the auspices of the UN. "The humanitarian situation is terrible and is not getting any better. Displaced people in North Kivu number between 1 million and 1.5 million. We visited a camp of 40,000 people, which was no doubt the best kept. It is terrible. The others, there is no access, because the roads are impassable. Humanitarian aid is not getting through", said Mr Kouchner. "The problem cannot be resolved by any other means than a political resolution. The solution cannot be a military one. It comes in via the UN and UNMIK. The solution is political, it comes in via an absolute agreement between the AU, the United Nations. It must be regional as well. It requires global political determination". Nonetheless, the French minister takes the view that in the meantime, "the number of soldiers or, at least, their efficiency" must be increased and for this, "different rules of engagement" must be defined, allowing for greater offensives. "There is nothing stopping the United Nations from calling for European troops". Javier Solana confirmed that within COPS, "all the options remain open: firstly political; then humanitarian; then, we will see, together with the United Nations". (A.N./trans.fl)