Following yesterday’s success on the conflict minerals agreement, the Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament met with the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs Federica Mogherini today. S&D MEPs presented her with the report from their fact-finding mission to the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in September. Elena Valenciano travelled there as the special envoy of the Group’s president, Gianni Pittella.

After the meeting, S&D Group president Gianni Pittella MEP and chair of the European Parliament’s sub-committee on human rights Elena Valenciano MEP said:

“Faced with a political and humanitarian situation which is getting worse every day in the Democratic Republic of Congo, we informed Federica Mogherini that the S&D Group will put forward a parliamentary resolution next week calling on the Council to adopt sanctions against individuals close to the Congolese president.  We are therefore pleased to see that the issue has been put on the agenda of the Foreign Affairs Council on the 12 December, before the symbolic date of 19 December when President Joseph Kabila is due to leave office.

“It is vital that the political deadlock is broken to resolve the humanitarian and security crisis in the east of the country.

“We have also highlighted the humanitarian situation in this region, where more than a million people have been displaced and are living in appalling conditions – a situation which has so far been met with complete indifference from the international community. We thank Ms Mogherini for her commitment in working on this issue with the commissioner for humanitarian aid and with the next secretary general of the UN.”