The European Parliament held a meeting in Brussels to discuss current events in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The security situation in the east of the country, mainly in the North Kivu region, is considered “essentially positive”, according to Congolese Ambassador Christian Ndongala Nkuku, who attended the meeting. However, he qualified this development by explaining that the rebel group M-23 had started a new offensive, despite the ceasefire agreements previously reached. The Congolese diplomat also wanted the EU to take sanctions against those who destabilize the DRC, in particular against Rwanda, identified by the UN as the coordinator of certain armed groups in the provinces of North Kivu and Maniema.
As for the electoral process, the DRC ambassador commended the work of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), which withdrew three million people from the electoral lists, for various reasons. He also mentioned the enrollment of displaced people in refugee camps as well as that of Congolese in the diaspora in five pilot countries. Finally, he proposed to MEPs the creation of a support mission for the ongoing electoral process.
In addition, the humanitarian situation in Kalehe, South Kivu, is worrying, with a death toll of 583 and 5,255 missing. Various countries and organizations have allocated funds to support the survivors, including the Congolese government, the UN and China, but the EU’s contribution is not yet known.
The meeting of the European Parliament made it possible to discuss the current situation in the DRC on the security, electoral and humanitarian levels. The interventions of the Congolese Ambassador, Christian Ndongala Nkuku, highlighted the need for stronger action, in particular from the EU, to help stabilize the situation in the country and to support those affected by the ongoing humanitarian crisis