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The European Commission contributes to the restoration of justice in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo

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The European Commission has approved a contribution of €7.9 million to the programme for the restoration of the judicial system in Eastern Congo (REJUSCO). There have been a number of European initiatives in recent years for the restoration of the judicial system in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and more especially in the eastern part of the country, in the areas affected by years of fighting.

The European Commissioner for development and humanitarian aid, Louis Michel, said that he was "pleased to be able to announce this fresh contribution to a programme that is of vital importance for establishing the rule of law. Restoring justice will put an end to impunity and, in doing so, will make a decisive contribution to the return to peace, national reconciliation and state sovereignty. It will make a major contribution to stabilising the country in the post-electoral period."

The REJUSCO programme is an extension of an initial pilot project for the restoration of the judicial system in the town of Bunia. The project is a tangible form of support for the transition to democracy and the re-establishment of the rule of law in the DRC. It is financed from the resources of the 9^th European Development Fund (EDF) allocated to the DRC and it will be implemented in collaboration with the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Belgium, which are all contributing to the overall financing of the project (€11.5 million).

This programme of support for the judicial system covers all aspects of criminal law. It is intended to reinforce not only the judicial institutions (police, courts, prisons), but also those professionally involved (criminal police, judiciary, lawyers, court registrars, prison officers) and to offer guarantees to other interested parties (witnesses, defendants, victims).

Commissioner Louis Michel added that "the promotion of respect for democratic principles, good governance and restoration of the rule of law in the DRC would continue to receive priority support under the 10^th EDF", which will cover the period 2008-2013.

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