Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-11-19-Speech-3-018"
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"en.20081119.3.3-018"2
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"Mr President, last night, I had the privilege of speaking directly to an experienced aid worker about the war in eastern Congo. He knows the crisis in both North and South Kivu like the back of his hand. His account, without wanting to put a gloss on the prevailing misery in the region, offers us a few rays of hope. One ray of hope is certainly that, more than a week ago, the Congolese presidential guard, in cooperation with the police, rounded up government soldiers engaged in looting. This is a hopeful sign of the Congolese government making a start on putting law and order in place, and is a development that emphatically deserves our European encouragement and support.
Another ray of hope is that rebel leader Nkunda has, to date, appeared unable to mobilise and recruit the Tutsis in South Kivu for his power aspirations. My contact considers this to be a positive expression of a Tutsi identification with the Congolese state and civil population.
A third ray of hope is the religious reconciliation initiatives at local and provincial levels. The elected authorities are just as actively involved in these platforms as the traditional authorities and the tribal representatives. These platforms in North and South Kivu deserve dual European support: financial aid and professional input in resolving conflicts. For humanitarian aid in both Kivu regions to be effective, it is of crucial importance for the local authorities to be involved, which includes, therefore, both groups of local leaders, traditional tribal representatives and the elected authorities.
Based on his own experience, my contact stresses that, despite all war conflicts and even when people are fleeing, these power structures that are in place continue to be effective, hence his urgent appeal to provide cash to the throngs of refugees in the villages of North and South Kivu, as well as the village people themselves. After all, my insider states: ‘If you have money, you can get food. Surprisingly enough, it is always market day somewhere. In Congo, it is perfectly possible to work with cash handouts. It does not make the people dependent, because they can decide for themselves what they will spend the money on. You boost the local economy and make instant use of it. In order to ensure that this runs smoothly, we go and talk to the elected village committees, who will point out the most needy.’
Following such a discussion, and with Europe’s heart-warming efforts that are aimed at reconciliation, there has to be a future for North and South Kivu and, indeed, for the whole of Congo. I would therefore call on the Council, the Commission, the European Parliament and the European institutions from the bottom of my heart to do what is necessary."@en1
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