EU peace-keeping force is not bringing peace to Congo – UN Blue Helmets need a clear mandate and more help

The Society for Threatened Peoples (GfbV) warned on Friday against sending a humanitarian peace-keeping force from the European union (EU) to the town of Goma, which is surrounded by the rebels. "The spontaneous sending of French troops is going to do nothing to help the civilian population of Goma, since it would merely increase the tension between the rebels under General Laurent Nkunda and the government of Congo”, said the GfbV Africa consultant, Ulrich Delius. The EU must instead increase its diplomatic pressure on the governments of Congo, Ruanda and the rebles to achieve a solution through negotiation. The UN peace-keeping force MONUC must also at last be given a clear mandate and more support.

The French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner suggested yesterday that a humanitarian peace-keeping force be sent by the EU to Goma to assist the harassed people. "Traditionally it is only French soldiers who can be considered since they can be brought into action in the region at relatively short notice”, said Delius. "However the sending of French troops could cause the fighting in the crisis region to escalate, since France is not seen a neutral by the rebels, who are close to the government of Ruanda.” There is still a good deal of distrust among Ruanda’s allies because the french government is seen as partly responsible for the murder of about one million Tutsi in 1994.

"Another consideration must be borne in mind: the situation in the east of Congo is different today from that of June 2003, when the EU under the leadership of French soldiers sent to the town of Bunia in the east of Congo a humanitarian peace-keeping force in the Operation Artemis”, said Delius. At that time it was the rebels who were responsible for most of the violations of human rights, while today it is the government soldiers. They commit 80 percent of the violations of human rights in the region. In the light of the plundering and murdering on the part of the soldiers the EU must also face up to the whole question how it is that the generously supported reform of the Congolese army with the support of 16 million euros and 60 advisers has failed.

The UN peace-keeping force MONUC is also being exploited by the Congolese army. On account of its double mandate from the Security Council the MONUC is always being forced to give up its neutrality. On the one hand it is to protect the civilian population from attacks by the parties to the conflict, but on the other it is expected to join with the Congolese army in fighting the Hutu rebels.