28/4/2006
1500 strong European force goes to DRC

The Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 1671 on Tuesday, April 25, authorizing a European Union operation to support the United Nation mission, MONUC, during the upcoming election period.

The establishment of this operation is a response to a request from the UN secretary-general and met with the complete agreement of the authorities of the DRC.  It will be an autonomous military operation by the European Union.

It is intended to strengthen the efforts of the Congolese, assisted by the United Nations, to successfully complete in the next few months the process of transition that began in June 2003.

The Congolese people have already shown their determination to take part in the elections, especially in the referendum on the constitution on December 18, 2005.  Security concerns remain, however, and had to be addressed.

The mandate of the deterrence force, which is not intended to be a substitute for MONUC, a UN force, is centred on the election period.  It will therefore end four months after the date on which the first round of the presidential election and the legislative elections are held.

The planned format is for a European force 1500 strong.  It will be commanded by Germany, the framework nation, which will provide one third of the troops and its command centre at Potsdam.  France will also take part, providing one third of the troop strength and commanding the force on the ground.  General Christian Damay has been appointed to this office.

General staff and advance troops will be based at Kinshasa under French command, and the rest of the force will be on standby outside the DRC (certain pre-positioned elements in the region, others in Europe). The force will be able to deploy very quickly in case of emergency.

The operation reflects the continuity of EU commitment to the DRC.
Operation Artémis in Bunia (June to September 2003) marked the European Union’s first actual engagement in Africa in the form of a peacekeeping force acting in support of the United Nations.  Two other European Union missions are under way in the country under the European security and defence policy (ESDP): a police-training mission in Kinshasa (EUPOL Kinshasa) and a security sector reform mission (EUSEC DRC).  These missions are modest in size but they’ve acquired real legitimacy in the field and with all the actors.

At the European level, this second operation in African marks a new stage in the formulation of an ESDP allowing the Union to make an effective contribution to international peacekeeping and security.