EU Commission proposes doubling European aid to support democratic government in DRC

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After more than 40 years of dictatorship and war, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) now has a President elected by direct universal suffrage, a modern Constitution that has been ratified by an overwhelming majority, and a democratic Parliament representing all of its citizens. The Commissioner for development and humanitarian aid, Louis Michel, who is going to Kinshasa on 6 December for the investiture of President Joseph Kabila, is proposing to double European development aid to support the reconstruction of the Congolese State. An initial package of €33 million will be used to strengthen governance and the institutions serving the country's citizens.

The European Commission has been the main donor providing funding for the electoral process since 2001. The total cost of the electoral process during the transition phase in the DRC has been €397 million, including logistical costs, of which the European Commission has contributed €165 million. This is the largest contribution ever made by the European Commission to an electoral process in a third country.

The European Commission now wants to confirm and increase its support for the Congolese people as they enter a new phase, following the election and the launch of the democratic institutions. Accordingly, it has just given the green light to an initial package of measures in support of governance in the DRC worth a total of €33 million. Commissioner Michel is preparing to recommend to the Member States a doubling of the aid budget for the DRC, as part of the 10th European Development Fund, which covers the period 2008-13 and is currently at the programming stage. The initial allocation for the DRC under the 9th EDF (2002-07) was €201 million.

Commissioner Michel has stressed the "ongoing commitment of the European Commission to providing resolute support for the transition process". Ever since its support for the opening of the inter-Congolese dialogue in Sun City in 2001, the Commission had, he said, unceasingly encouraged the various protagonists in the Congo to hold free and transparent elections and had been among the first in the international community to believe in such a possibility. It was now time to invest heavily in reconstructing the State, its capabilities and its basic services, so that the Congolese people could reap the benefits of reconciliation and democracy.

The European Commission has indeed been active since 2002 in supporting the creation and rehabilitation of the institutions of State. It has played a key role in mobilising political and financial support from other international partners for the electoral process, particularly among the EU Member States. The Commission has also supported the efforts of the United Nations Mission in the DRC (MONUC) and the work of the African partners, particularly South Africa. Since 2003 the Commission has also helped to set up the Independent Electoral Commission, which played a fundamental and exemplary role in the recent elections, with the result that nobody now contests the reliability of the process.

The Commission would like to pay tribute to the thousands of national and international observers and particularly the EU's electoral observation mission. This powerful mobilisation undoubtedly helped to make the process more transparent.

The European Commission also played a part in ensuring the safety of the electoral process by supporting the integrated police unit and by its financial contribution to the multi-donor demobilisation and reintegration programme and the reform of the security sector, alongside the EUSEC and EUPOL missions. "Security is and will remain an essential factor in the stabilisation and sustainable development of the country. The European Union is mobilised to continue to support the government's efforts in this key sector", said Louis Michel.

The victims of the conflicts in the DRC have received assistance from the European Commission's Directorate-General for Humanitarian Aid (ECHO), which operates mainly in the conflict zones, amounting to €45 million in 2004 and , and an expected €30 million in 2007.

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• République Démocratique du Congo: HR de l'UE Solana salue la formation du nouveau gouvernement (6/2/2007)
• EUHR Solana's Presentation on Democratic Republic of Congo/EUFOR at UN Security Council  (9/1/2007)
• Brussels European Council – EU Presidency Conclusions (15/12/2006)
• EU Council extends mandate of EU Police Mission in Kinshasa (EUPOL "KINSHASA") (8/12/2006)
• RDC: La Commission européenne salue l'annonce des résultats de la présidentielle  (27/11/2006)
• EU Council Conclusions on the Democratic Republic of Congo (13/11/2006)
• EU Parliament observes "better" elections in Congo (7/11/2006)
• Solana, le Haut Représentant de l'UE pour la PESC, salue le bon déroulement des élections en République Démocratique du Congo  (30/10/2006)
• RDC: La Commission européenne félicite le peuple congolais pour son civisme et sa participation à l’élection présidentielle  (30/10/2006)