Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-09-22-Speech-3-308"
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"en.20100922.23.3-308"2
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"Mr President, I can only concur with what has been said, especially with the remarks made by Mrs De Keyser, who gave a very harsh and very raw description of the violence being perpetrated against women. It is true that all the reports say the same thing. They are all unbearable, intolerable, both individually and, most of all, collectively. Moreover, all these acts of violence are clearly aimed at purging, humiliating and, ultimately, eradicating a population, by depriving it of its dignity and its reason for living.
So, for all these reasons, I think we have to be able to react even more forcefully. It is true that the situation in Congo is now even more difficult on all fronts, not only as regards the acts of violence perpetrated against women, but on other fronts as well. Mr Chastel, you talked about the daily lives of countless Congolese, about the issue of human rights in general, not just the rights of women, and about human rights defenders. I would like to say that I see a direct link, obviously, between this violence against women and a series of crimes which are also still going unpunished.
The pillaging of natural resources still largely goes unpunished. Reference was made, in fact, to US legislation, from which inspiration could be drawn here in Europe. However, I also believe that the issue of impunity for the pillaging of natural resources is absolutely crucial. It is crucial because today, even the undertaking made by the Congolese President, Mr Kabila, to prohibit their export is ultimately very harmful, particularly for all the small diggers who live on nothing but that. It is harmful because it actually serves no purpose; it is something of a smoke screen, since we know full well that the Congolese armed forces, or at least some of them, are linked not only to the rape of women but also to the pillaging of resources and the corruption organised around it.
What matters, then, are not just the laws or decisions of a government but also the capacity to apply them and to implement them. It is important for a government to be able to exercise its powers.
I therefore think, by way of conclusion – and many of us will soon be in Kinshasa to meet with the ACP countries – that, in order to both assist and support the useful, positive forces within Congo, be they governmental, community, human rights or other forces, we will send out a double message: a message of support to those who want to develop the culture of justice and of combating impunity, and also a message concerning the political forces and their capacity to equip themselves with the means to ensure real governance at all stages: when establishing security, applying laws, implementing a series of decisions and, quite simply, establishing the credibility, ultimately, of those elected. Indeed, four years after the elections we all wanted, financed and supported, it is important not only to condemn, but also to encourage any action that will enable the real, specific exercise of government authority and democracy in general. Moreover, I think that violence against women and violence against human rights defenders are two extremely important aspects.
I will conclude by saying that the trial of those responsible for Mr Chebeya’s death will, in principle, take place in September. In view also of his family’s suffering, I think that we really need to pay a great deal of attention to ensuring that this trial is truly symbolic of the desire to solve this problem."@en1
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