Statements by Neven MIMICA, Member of the EC in charge of International Cooperation and Development, Mariya GABRIEL (EPP, BG), Elena VALENCIANO (S&amp;D, ES), Charles TANNOCK (ECR, UK) and Pavel TELICKA (ALDE, CZ)&nbsp;on the rule of law crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in Gabon, during the EP plenary session&nbsp; (01-02/02) in Brussels.

Brussels

debate

plenary session

EU - Democratic Republic of the Congo (T)

VALENCIANO, Elena (S&D, ES)

EU - Gabon (T)

TELIČKA, Pavel (ALDE, CZ)

GABRIEL, Mariya (EPP, BG, EC)

TANNOCK, Timothy Charles Ayrton (ECR, UK)

MIMICA, Neven (HR, EC)

Rule of law crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in Gabon: extracts from the debate

SOUNDBITE (English), Neven MIMICA, Member of the EC in charge of International Cooperation and Development, The stability of Gabon and the Democratic Republic of Congo is of primary interest of the EU. But genuine peace, stability and development do not come to enforce preservation of the Status Quo and repression of opposition voices.

SOUNDBITE (English), Neven MIMICA, Member of the EC in charge of International Cooperation and Development, On DRC the EU considers that a political agreement signed on 21 December last year represents an important progress with a remarkable mediation done by DRC catholic bishops. The challenge is now to implement and doing it quickly. It is imperative that the transition period towards elections be as short as possible. In order to achieve this, the bishops should not be left alone, and the EU will actively seek the engagement of the region as well as the UN in pushing Congolese political actors to implement the agreement.

SOUNDBITE (French), Mariya GABRIEL (EPP, BG), It is imperative to have a deep look to the post electoral violence, light must be done on those crimes, and those responsible of post electoral violence must pay for their acts. We cannot accept the impunity, we have no right to forget. Therefore it is also imperative that the office of the UN Commissioner for Human Rights send an urgent mission on the field, and I ask the member states to help for this.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Elena VALENCIANO (S&amp;D, ES), Whatever we have not been able to intervene, to stop that bad joke that President Kabila made on his own people , but it is also a joke that President makes of EU institution . We want to repeat to the African countries that the democracy is a play of rules that everybody has to respect it. And in the dialogue with us, the third countries we want to make it clear that we will not agree to such deviation like Gabon or RDC did.

SOUNDBITE (English), Charles TANNOCK (ECR, UK), There is however concern about the peace of progress towards the elections. Recent escape of M 23 rebels&rsquo; fighter from Uganda and their crossing into the DRC should also be a cause for alarm. The risk of return of the fighting in the North Kivu province which potentially be exploited by Kabila as a grants for prolonging his DRC presidency.

SOUNDBITE (Czech), Pavel TELI&#268;KA (ALDE, CZ), We do have human right defenders, we do have independent social media, and we do have variant community and civil society. So now the task is that we provide them on time with the necessary support. This is a twofold ambitions that we have to have.