Republic of Congo – EU Operation

GREEK PARTICIPATION IN THE EU-LED OPERATION IN THE

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

(24 January- 30 November 2006)

 

On the 24th of  January 2006, UN Organization requested the EU to allocate a Reserve Force that would support the rapid reaction capabilities of UN Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic in Congo, MONUC , during the presidential elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo and there after.

MONUC, 16.700 men UN-led Force, has been deployed since August 2003, in the context of article 7 of the UN Chart. .

The task of the EU-led Reserve Force was to support, if required, MONUC during the election period and there after. The EU had previously deployed an Advanced Echelon of 450 men at Kinsasa, Congo, to support MONUC, in the event that MONUC could not deal with the situation.

Elections took place on the 30th of July 2006, thus the Reserve Force  mission would last for four months after having being deployed., namely by the end of November 2006.

Greece allocated the following personnel and means to the Mission.

  1. One C-130 transportation a/c to conduct airlift. It has been deployed within the TO (Theatre of Operation) since the 30th of July 2006 and commenced operations from the 1st of August to the 15th of September 2006. The a/c was based at Libreville, Gabon and its transport lifts were to the N’ Djili airfield at Kinsasa, Congo.  The C-130 had night flight capability, as long as the airfields of operation had the appropriate approach, take off and landing instrumental support and fulfilled the appropriate IFR criteria, as well as adequate landing and take off light installations.
  2. One Staff-Officer to FHQ at Kinsasa, Congo on the 30th of July 2006, and three staff-officers to  OHQ on the 4th of April 2006, at Potsdam, Germany.
  3. A C-130 a/c transported the 27 member Supporting Echelon to Kinsasa, Congo, to assist the Greek Officer, serving at FHQ, in his duties.

The Mission concluded on the 31st of  December 2006.