06 Jul 2006: DRC: 670 EUFOR Soldiers Already Deployed in Kinshasa
6 July 2006: DRC: 670 EUFOR Soldiers Already Deployed in Kinshasa
The European Union Force for the DR Congo (EUFOR) has already deployed 670 soldiers in Kinshasa, of the 1,200 contingent which will compose the force, said Franz Josef Jung, German Defence Minister, at a press conference held at the German embassy in the capital on Tuesday July 4, 2006. EUFOR will support MONUC in securing the elections. Mr. Jung, who is on an official visit to Kinshasa, has met with several Congolese government representatives, notably with President Joseph Kabila, the minister for Defence and the minister for Foreign Affairs. He also met with Jean-Pierre Bemba, Azarias Ruberwa and Rémi Massamba, the Secretary General of the UDPS, as well as Abbé Malu Malu, the head of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).
Commentary
The deployment of the European Union Force for the Congo (EUFOR) is an important part of the security arrangements for the elections of 30 July 2006, though this has not been well received by everybody. The timetable for elections announced two weeks ago at an EU press conference involves the current transitional government headed by Joseph Kabila plus his four vice-presidents staying in power until early next year. This announcement in Brussels by the EU Special Representative to the Great Lakes Region, Aldo Ajello, has increased Congolese antagonism to European involvement in the process and may increase the risks to EU troops in Kinshasa. The EU`s High Representative for the Common External and Security Policy, Javier Solana, has dismissed the risk to European Force soldiers as minimal. However, hostile slogans were shouted against the EU, the UN and Kabila during two marches, one in Brussels and the other in Kinshasa, organised by the opposition Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDSP) and its allies. The new Front for the Defence of the Congo (FDC), which groups some 50 political parties led by Etienne Tshisekedi’s UPDS, is seeking talks on an extension of the transition beyond the 30 June deadline. Although the transition makes provision for the current Transitional Government to stay in place until the election has been completed, the FDC wants to hold a brief political dialogue to confirm the end of the transition on 30 June and to lodge its legal objections.
In Brussels, demonstrators waved banners hostile to the German troops being sent to support “Kabila`s criminal regime”. Statements in Brussels by the German commander of the EU force, Lt Gen Karlheinz Viereck, could further antagonise Kabila`s opponents. "If deterrence does not succeed we shall fight against any spoiler. We could use force, even lethal", he said, expressing confidence in the European troops` capacity.
It is important that the force project impartiality and professionalism from the moment they arrive in DRC. EUFOR has five fundamental tasks; to support MONUC to stabilise a situation, in case MONUC faces serious difficulties in fulfilling its mandate within its existing capabilities, to contribute to the protection of civilians under imminent threat of physical violence in the area of its deployment, and without prejudice to the responsibility of the Government of the DRC, to contribute to airport protection in Kinshasa, to ensure the security and freedom of movement of the personnel as well as the protection of the installations of EUFOR DR Congo, to execute operations of a limited character in order to extract individuals in danger.
When analysing the fundamental tasks of EUFOR, the question can be asked if the force’s principal task is, as some allege, to provide the capacity to evacuate Europeans if things go wrong? If EUFOR DR Congo wants to be successful in the execution of the mission it will have to send a strong message that its prime objective is to support MONUC and the Government of DRC in securing the elections.
Henri Boshoff
