Germany demands more troops for Congo

By Simon Taylor and Andrew Beatty

Date: 09/03/06

Germany is insisting that other EU member states must provide around 400-500 troops for a peacekeeping mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo before it consents to lead the proposed force.

Berlin has agreed provisionally to lead the mission, in a bid to provide stability during the country's elections in June, with strong support from France. The two countries are expected to send around two-thirds of the force, expected to total 1,200-1,500.

But in order to ensure that the mission is clearly seen as an EU enterprise, they want other member states to make up the remaining third. Seven member states have offered to send troops and logistical support but Berlin says that the numbers being discussed so far are inadequate.

German MEP Karl von Wogau, chairman of the Parliament's sub-committee on security and defence and a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrat party, said: "It must be a really multinational force. It must be clear it's a European force."

One German source commented that the offer of "ten Austrians and 30 Poles" was not sufficient.

EU defence ministers failed to make progress on the mission at their meeting in Innsbruck on 6-7 March. One EU diplomat said that the meeting had been "a step backwards rather than forwards".

Berlin reluctantly accepted that it should head the mission but imposed several conditions. These included the need for a mandate from the UN, a clear request from the Congolese government to send the mission and a higher level of contributions from other member states. In addition, the length of the mission should be limited to four months and it should only cover the capital, Kinshasa.

So far Austria has offered ten logistical support officers, Poland has proposed 30 soldiers while Belgium, which is not allowed to send armed troops into its former colonies, is considering offering logistical support or intelligence experts. Sweden, Spain and Portugal have also indicated that they might make a contribution to the force.

Despite its experience with the EU's Artemis mission to DR Congo in 2003, France has refused to lead the mission, arguing that a combination of its colonial links and other military commitments in Ivory Coast prevent it from taking command.

The UK and Italy have declined to make a contribution, with London arguing that it is already overstretched in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The UN asked the EU to provide assistance during the elections in December last year but concern has been growing in recent weeks that the situation has deteriorated.

At the Innsbruck meeting, ministers agreed to send EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana to DR Congo to evaluate the size of force which would be needed.

He will also meet Congolese President Joseph Kabila to confirm that he wants the EU to send a mission. Kabila is said to be concerned that the EU's deployment might cover the south-eastern region of Katanga and is seeking clarification.

Katanga is a stronghold for Kabila's People for Reconstruction and Democracy Party and the presence of foreign troops could harm his chances of re-election.

EU officials fear that the EU's contribution to defence and police reform, as well as its support for the transition to democracy in DR Congo is being undermined by the delays.

But Kemal Saiki, a spokesperson for the UN mission in the country, said that there was an understanding in the UN of the pace of decision-making. "You can only dance as fast as the music," he said. "It is member states who decide what, where and when troops are deployed."

At their informal meeting in Innsbruck on 6-7 March 2006 EU Defence Ministers discussed the planned EU military mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo. The UN had asked the EU in December 2005 to provide assistance during the elections, scheduled for June 2006. At the defence meeting Germany was insisting that other EU Member States had to provide around 400-500 troops for a peacekeeping mission to before it would consent to lead the proposed force.