Safeguards attached to top-up support to the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) under the European Peace Facility (EPF)

Subject: Safeguards attached to top-up support to the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) under the European Peace Facility (EPF)

In November 2024 the Council adopted an EUR 20 million top-up support measure under the EPF for the deployment of the RDF in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, despite concerns over Rwanda’s support for the Congolese rebel military group M23 and the lack of safeguards under the EU’s initial EPF support.

What measures is the Commission taking to address concerns that, according to a report by a UN panel of experts,1 Major General Emmy Ruvusha, the current Rwanda Security Forces (RSF) commander,2 served in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo?

Submitted: 19.12.2024

1 Final report of the Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo,

https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/n23/123/80/pdf/n2312380.pdf.

2 Mozambique, Rwanda military officials discuss operations in Cabo Delgado, The New Times, 21 November

2024, https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/22018/news/africa/mozambique-rwanda-military-officials-discuss- operations-in-cabo-delgado.

Answer given by High Representative/Vice-President Kallas on behalf of the European Commission (4 February 2025)

The European Peace Facility (EPF) EUR 20 million top-up support measure covers the acquisition of non-lethal individual equipment for the Rwanda’s troops (RDF) deployed in Cabo Delgado and the costs of the transport of staff, equipment and supplies between Rwanda and Mozambique (1).

The RDF was deployed at the request of the Government of Mozambique and was instrumental in tackling the security crisis in Cabo Delgado.

Regardless of the assistance measure in question, the EU condemned Rwanda’s support for M23 and military presence on Congolese territory, and urged Rwanda to end its cooperation with M23 and withdraw its military forces from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) (2).

It has also sanctioned two Rwandan military officers for their responsibility in sustaining the armed conflict, instability and insecurity in the DRC.

Under the EPF, each assistance measure includes robust safeguards, which are duly implemented in the arrangements with the beneficiary to ensure compliance by the end users with the requirements and conditions established by the Council (3).

This has been the case for the initial assistance measure as well as for the top-up adopted in November 2024. Failure to comply with international law and the said arrangements may result in the suspension or termination of the support. To date, the RDF deployment in Mozambique has fully complied with these arrangements.

Major General Emmy Ruvusha, while mentioned by the United Nations (UN) group of experts (4), was not sanctioned by either the UN or the EU, nor is he an indicted war criminal.

The EPF assistance measure is not intended for support to specific individuals or to the RDF as a whole, but to sustain the RDF deployment in Cabo Delgado, with the full support of the Mozambican authorities.

1 1Final report of the Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/n23/123/80/pdf/n2312380.pdf.

2 2Mozambique, Rwanda military officials discuss operations in Cabo Delgado, The New Times, 21 November 2024,

https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/22018/news/africa/mozambique-rwanda-military-officials-discuss-operations-in-cabo-delgado. 1 ∙ ⸱ Press release of 18 November 2024, https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2024/11/18/european-peace-facility-council-tops-up-support-to- the-deployment-of-the-rwanda-defence-force-to-fight-terrorism-in-cabo-delgado/ 2 ∙ ⸱ Eastern DRC: Statement by the Spokesperson on the latest developments of 6 January 2025, https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/eastern-drc-statement- spokesperson-latest-developments_en 3 ∙ ⸱

Council Decision (CFSP) 2021/509 of 22 March 2021 establishing a European Peace Facility, and repealing Decision (CFSP) 2015/528, Article 62. 4 ∙ ⸱ Final report of the Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/n23/123/80/pdf/n2312380.pdf