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Democratic Republic of Congo: EU Council launches planning for an EU operation in support of MONUC during the electoral process

The Council approved today the concept for a possible EU support to the United Nations' mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) during the electoral process and decided to start military planning and preparation on that basis. Planning for police support will also be pursued.

Following a UN request on 27 December 2005, the Council, in close contact with the DRC authorities and the UN, has been considering the possibility of making available a force that, if necessary, could be deployed to the DRC in support of MONUC during the electoral process.

The EU operation will aim to provide timely and focused support to MONUC. The concept foresees notably:

- the deployment of an advanced element to Kinshasa of circa 400-450 military personnel;

- the availability of a battalion-size "on-call" force "over the horizon" outside the country, but quickly deployable.

The Council took note of the availability of an EU OHQ (Operation Headquarters) at the German Armed Forces Operations Command in Potsdam for the planning and command of the military operation. The mission will be genuinely European and multinational, with many Member States having expressed their willingness to participate, several of them through the provision of troops.

The Council has underlined on several occasions its engagement in support of the transition in the DRC. Success of the elections is important not only for the Congolese population. It will have a major impact for peace and development in the region of the Great Lakes and Africa as a whole. Although a stable and secure environment for the elections is first and foremost the responsibility of the DRC Transitional National Government, supported by MONUC, the EU is ready to contribute to it.

The EU is deeply engaged for the transition in the DRC, through economic aid, political support as well as police and security sector reform missions under the European security and defence policy. In 2003, the EU conducted the military operation "Artemis" in Bunia, Eastern DRC, already on the basis of a UN request.

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• RDC: Déclaration de Commissaire européen Michel sur les élections  (31/7/2006)
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• EU Presidency Statement - United Nations Security Council Public Meeting on the Democratic Republic of Congo (6/7/2006)
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• EU military operation in support of the MONUC during the election process in the Democratic Republic of Congo (12/6/2006)
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• EU External Relations Council Conclusions on Democratic Republic of Congo (27/2/2006)
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