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Council establishes mission to provide advice and assistance for security sector reform in the Democratic Republic of Congo

The Council adopted today - by written procedure - a Joint Action on the European Union mission to provide advice and assistance for security sector reform in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in the framework of the European security and defence policy (ESDP).

Code-named "EUSEC RD CONGO", the mission will provide advice and assistance for security sector reform in the DRC with the aim of contributing to a successful integration of the Congolese army. In the framework of the mission, experts will be assigned inter alia to the following key posts within the Congolese administration:
- the private office of the Minister for Defence,
- the combined general staff, including the integrated military structure (IMS),
- the army general staff,
- the National Committee for Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration CONADER),
- the Joint Operational Committee.

Background: The European Union's engagement towards stability and security in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

The European Union is intensifying its efforts to facilitate a successful transition in DRC.

Two new missions under the European Security and Defence Policy, which are in line with the military operation, ARTEMIS (carried out in 2003), help to illustrate the EU's determination to contribute to DRC stability, which ultimately has a bearing on that of the Great Lakes region as a whole.

EU police mission in Kinshasa (DRC) for the Integrated Police Unit ("EUPOL KINSHASA")

• In April 2005, the EU, in close coordination with the United Nations, will launch a police mission in Kinshasa (DRC) ("EUPOL KINSHASA") within the framework of the European Defence and Security Policy (ESDP).
  
• The launching ceremony of EUPOL KINSHASA will take place on 30th April on the occasion of the visit of the EU High Representative of the EU for Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana.
  
• In response to an invitation of the DRC government, the EUPOL KINSHASA mission is the first civil mission for crisis management in Africa within the ESDP framework.
  
• The objective of the mission is to provide a framework for and advice to the Integrated Police Unit [1] (IPU) under the Congolese line of command. The purpose is to guarantee that the actions of the IPU are in line with international police best practices. The mission will deploy personnel to different sections of the IPU line of command.
  
• EUPOL KINSHASA will comprise about 30 persons. Commissioner Adilio Custodio (Portugal) has been appointed head of mission.
  
• The budget for the mission amounts to around EURO 4.3 million.
  
• The EU Special Representative for the Great Lakes region, Mr. Aldo Ajello, will provide political guidelines to the head of mission, Commissioner Adilio Custodio. He will facilitate co-ordination with other EU stakeholders on the ground as well as relations with local authorities.

EU advisory and assistance mission for DRC security reform ("EUSEC - R.D. CONGO")

• Following an official request by the DRC government, the EC has decided to establish an EU advisory and assistance mission for security reform in the
  Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) ("EUSEC - R.D. CONGO" mission)
  
• The mission will provide advice and assistance to the Congolese authorities in charge of security while ensuring the promotion of policies that are compatible with human rights and international humanitarian law, democratic standards, principles of good public management, transparency and observance of the rule of law.
  
• The mission is expected to be launched during the month of May 2005. It will cover a period of 12 months.
  
• General Pierre Joana (France) has been appointed head of mission. The mission should comprise eight experts who will be seconded by the Member States and by the EU institutions. Within the framework of this mission, experts will be assigned in particular to the following key posts within the Congolese administration:
  - the private office of the Minister of Defence,
  - general military staff, including the Integrated Military Structure,
  - staff of the land forces,
  - the National Commission for Disarmament, Demobilisation and Re-assignment(CONADER), and
  - the Joint Operational Committee.
  
• The financial reference amount for the expenses related to this mission is EURO 1.6 million.

EU and DRC: an ongoing commitment

• The "EUPOL-KINSHASA" and "EUSEC- RD CONGO" missions, as well as the ARTEMIS military operation (launched by the EU in 2003) confirms the determined political commitment of EU vis-à-vis the DRC transition process as well as MONUC.
  
• After the end of the ARTEMIS operation, the EU had pointed out that its engagement in the DRC would continue. The EU is prepared to accompany the political process in DRC on three levels: economic, political and security.
  
• The EU emphasises the importance it gives to respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence in the DRC and in all the states in the region as well as its support for the comprehensive and inclusive Agreement on Transition in the Democratic Republic of Congo, signed in Pretoria on 17th December 2002.
  
• While renewing its determination to support transition in the DRC, the Union calls on the espace présidentiel, the transitional institutions and their representatives to continue without respite their engagement in view of the implementation of a transition agenda and of the strengthening of good governance. The demobilisation of combattants and security reform are crucial for the successful achievement of transition and for the DRC's strategy to exit the crisis.

[1] This IPU is the subject of a project whose aim is to train 1008 Congolese police. The IPU's objective is to scale up the neutral force currently made available by MONUC to guarantee the security of the government and transitional institutions. IPU training and equipment will be financed by the European Development Fund, managed by the European Commission, and by a joint action covering contributions from the budget of the CFSP and of the Member States.

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