This week eleven Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) travelled to Kinshasa for what was described as a mission of solidarity with the Congolese people.
They met with Congolese ruler Felix Tshisekedi and other senior officials, exchanged pleasantries, and reaffirmed Europe’s commitment to peace in the region.
But what peace are they talking about? And with whom are they standing in solidarity?
The European Union is not supporting peace in DR Congo. It is underwriting dysfunction.
The Tshisekedi regime, long marred by corruption, ethnic cleansing, and political repression, has demonstrated little genuine interest in ending the violence consuming eastern DRC. Rather than confronting the internal drivers of conflict including state neglect, military abuses, and ethnic persecution, the regime has chosen the convenient path of blaming external actors, particularly Rwanda.
The EU, knowingly, is enabling this strategy. Lately, it gifted 20 million euros to the Congolese national army. An institution repeatedly violates ceasefires, targeting Congolese Tutsi civilians, and exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. This military support has fueled impunity.
Worse still, the MEP delegation made no apparent effort to meet with representatives of the M23 movement or with Congolese Tutsi leaders who have been sounding the alarm about ethnic violence. Their grievances remain unaddressed. Instead, the tired narrative of Rwandan interference was recycled once again, conveniently diverting attention from Kinshasa’s own failures.
Europe’s Congo policy has become a case study in diplomatic negligence. Instead of pressuring the Tshisekedi regime to engage in meaningful dialogue and protect vulnerable communities, the EU has chosen the easy path to hand over money, offer political cover, and hope for stability. It’s a strategy that doesn’t work.
If the EU is serious about supporting the Congolese people, it must stop shielding an incompetent regime that has repeatedly shown itself to be irresponsible and belligerent.
True peace in Congo will require courage, both from Congolese leaders willing to face their own shortcomings and from international actors ready to hold them accountable. Until then, Europe’s well-intentioned visits will remain empty gestures cloaked in the language of diplomacy.
ellenkampire