DRC: during the summit with the EU, all concerns were put on the table

An artery in Kinshasa, the capital of DR Congo.

(Drawing).

Junior D. Kannah / AFP

Text by: RFI Follow

3 min

The political dialogue between the DRC and the European Union ended on Tuesday.

For two days, around ten ministers and the European Union ambassador and his teams had the opportunity to address all common issues of concern.

Open and frank discussions, say both sides.

Publicity

Read more

The organization of an annual dialogue is one of the provisions of

, but in Congo, it had not been held since 2009. It should be noted that

complained that it was not applying the

directive on the

 sanctioning of companies purchasing minerals in conflict zones, including the DRC.

Adopted in 2017, there was a moratorium applied until 2021.

For the DRC, it is time to review the aid paradigm.

The Deputy Prime Minister of the Budget requested it in his opening speech.

Kinshasa wants budget support and cooperation whose management is less centralized, directly to ministries or provinces, but also less conditional.

The ministers also pleaded for more European investments.

European diplomats, for an improvement of the business climate, while taking the opportunity to insist on the importance for the EU to see the discussions with the IMF succeed.

Several differences between the parties

The EU also raised the issue of human rights violations, nearly half of which remain attributable to state agents, but also highlighted the importance of thinking about justice before reintegrating group members. armed.

On the political front, European diplomats insisted on the importance of remaining inclusive and of building a consensus, in particular on discussions related to electoral reforms, while the government delegation, largely dominated by the FCC, insisted on respect for the institutional framework.

One of the main bones of contention remained the question of sanctions against a dozen Congolese personalities.

Discussions on their renewal are underway in Brussels.

But Kinshasa insists on being consulted on the basis of the Cotonou agreement when European diplomats recall that it is a question of sovereignty.

Newsletter

Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

• DRC

• European Union

On the same subject

News calls

[Your reactions] DRC: a summit for peace?

DRC: Tshisekedi traveling to Goma to talk about security and development

DRC: the explanations of the Central Bank after the publication of the audit of its accounts