‘Soldiers will die’ in Congo peace mission

Date: 05/06/03

By Dana Spinant and David Cronin

A FORMER top NATO general has warned "soldiers will pay with their lives" due to the decision to send a 1,500-strong EU peacekeeping force to Congo taken by Union diplomats yesterday (4 June).

The EU's Council of Ministers is today due to endorse the move to deploy the French-led force by the middle of this month. The troops will be tasked with restoring order in the north-eastern Ituri region of Congo, where violence between the Hema and Lendu tribes has claimed more than 400 lives in the past few weeks.

Speaking exclusively to European Voice, German General Klaus Naumann, chief of NATO's military committee between 1996 and 1999, berated what he called "the casual approach of politicians".

"This is a very risky mission and soldiers risk dying because of ambitious decisions taken by politicians" to prove that the Union is able to carry military operations, he warned.

He believes that a peacekeeping operation of the range required in Congo is for the moment beyond the Union's capabilities. "[The EU's recently-launched operation in] Macedonia works, but it is a petite promenade in comparison to Congo; there is no real risk involved," Naumann added.

The retired general warned that the present "rules of engagement are not well adapted for situations in the field in Africa". They are "reactive, not allowing soldiers to use weapons against rebels".

Unless they change, any military operation in Congo is perilous, Naumann warned: "Experiences with peacekeeping in Africa show that there is a risk for peacekeepers."

However, French General Philippe Morillon, the MEP who drafted a landmark report on European security and defence, labelled Naumann's warning as a "prejudice".

"The rules of engagement have been changed, after the wars in former Yugoslavia, and the 'extended legitimate defence' allows soldiers to use force not only when their lives are in danger, but also when the mission requires it.

"It is a difficult mission, but the French, as well as the Brits, are familiar with this type of operation," Morillon added.

"We have the capabilities for such a mission."

The head of the EU's Military Committee, Finnish General Gustav Hägglund, acknowledged "this is a difficult operation with potentially high military risks", with the situation not helped by the poor condition of the airport in Ituri's capital Bunia. "The geography means that there is no alternative to air transport for inserting a force, its supply and any subsequent reinforcement," he added.

Commenting after he presented a risk assessment of the mission to the EU's Political and Security Committee (COPS), Hägglund said: "The alternative to our engagement would be to watch and to stand aside during a likely genocide.

"It's admirable that countries are willing to accept the high risks to their soldiers in order to protect human rights and prevent the killing of innocent civilians."

Javier Solana, the Union's high representatives for foreign affairs, said the mission "proves the EU has the will to act and the means, capabilities and know-how to take decisions rapidly".

All EU states endorsed the move, although it is not yet clear how many of them will contribute personnel.

"The 15 are committed to it but I don't know if the 15 will provide forces or not," he said.

French General Bruno Neveux is due to be the operational commander of the force and some 700 of its members are expected to be his compatriots.

The EU will send a 1500 peacekeeping force to Congo in the middle of June 2003, in an effort to restore order between local tribes.