EU prepares for Africa initiative

Date: 31/07/1997

By Mark Turner

EU GOVERNMENTS are awaiting a crucial United Nations decision on whether to send a peacekeeping force or a special 'Africa force' to ensure stability in Congo-Brazzaville.

The EU has indicated it would contribute 6 million ecu to any Africa force's costs, but this depends on what recommendations Secretary-General Kofi Annan makes after a UN mission to the region.

The security council is expected to take a final decision in early August. If the UN opts for a peacekeeping force, it would be paid for out of normal obligatory contributions, whereas an Africa force would require special voluntary funding.

Meanwhile, the Union is preparing to send a 'troika' of foreign ministers to Brazzaville's eastern neighbour the Democratic Republic of Congo (ex-Zaïre) next week for a first high-level encounter with Laurent Kabila's new government.

The aim of the visit will be to find out more about President Kabila's long-term goals and explore any possibilities of resuming cooperation between Kinshasa and the Union. The trip to the DRC follows months of delay while ministers waited for conditions to be 'right'. During that time the Union has had, at best, only a sketchy policy towards the new republic.

Commission officials say the visit will try to clear up serious question marks over Kabila's approach to human rights, and push him to accept a UN fact-finding mission on the situation in the country.

A first UN mission was sent last year, following reports of massacred refugees fleeing Ugandan and Rwandan incursions into Zaïre, but Kabila has refused to accept its findings.

The troika will also try to convince Kabila to hold elections, which he had promised he would do in April next year, and to form a constituent assembly.

But Kabila, supported by several African nations, argues that the first priority is to get the country working and that democracy will only follow later. The EU might be willing to accept that in practice should it hear firm evidence that he is getting on with the reconstruction effort. While Kabila has stated some policy goals, he has given few indications of a viable long-term strategy. Meanwhile, EU development aid is firmly frozen and 'rehabilitation' aid is on ice.