B3-0054, 0059 and 0075/94

Resolution on the situation in the Congo

The European Parliament,

-having regard to its previous resolutions on the link between democracy and development,

A.concerned at the current level of violence in the Congo where some one hundred people have been killed in recent weeks in clashes between the President's forces and members of the opposition,

B.having regard to the apprehension and expulsion of the French journalist, Frédérique Genot, on 14 November 1993; whereas her recent departure from Brazzaville rules out any possibility of an objective and independent account of the serious events taking place at the moment in the Congo - there have been regular reports of political or ethnic murders between Congolese, intimidation, assault and rape of European Union nationals (namely French, Portuguese and Belgian),

1.Condemns the violence and abuse of human rights in the Congo and calls on Congolese society as a whole to resume a genuine dialogue capable of bringing about national reconciliation in line with the provisions of the Libreville Agreement of 4 August 1993;

2.Supports the Council's statement of 12 January 1994 on the worrying development of the situation in the Congo and the need for dialogue with a view to finding a political solution to the crisis;

3.Calls on the Congolese authorities to ensure favourable conditions to facilitate the mission of the international arbitration team which it was decided to set up under the Libreville Agreement and whose task is to examine complaints arising from the elections in May 1993;

4.Calls on the Congolese authorities to guarantee freedom of information and, in particular,

-to grant all sections of society access to the Congolese media;

-to annul the ministerial order expelling Frédérique Genot for life;

-to reaffirm, for the representatives of the international press, the freedom to carry out their assignments in conditions affording reasonable access and security;

5.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission, the Co-Presidents of the ACP-EEC Joint Assembly, the OAU and the President and Government of the Congo.