Topic: Situation in Congo
Country: Austria
Delegate Name: Benjamin Van Airsdale
School: Forest Hills Northern High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Austria position papers GLIMUN 2008 committees
The DCR or the Democratic Republic of Congo has been a crisis overlooked for far too many years. Now that the world’s attention has focused on the situation, aid will hopefully find this disaster zone. Experts are calling the horrific killings the worst in human history since the Second Great War. Over 5.4 million Congolese people have died from the chaotic tribal militias, coming over the border from Rwanda. As the Congolese government tries to halt the rebel General Laurent Nkunda in the eastern regions of the DCR, many civilians are killed in cold blood and forced from their homes. Even though this country seems to be democratic on paper, in reality, they cannot hold fair elections. The electoral process is slow, unreliable and usually affected by corruption. People do not feel safe going out to the polls and electing their choice of candidate, because of random violence and political killings. Also the DCR has a huge abundance of natural resources that the world’s economy depends on, such as, diamonds, coltan, oil, cobalt and copper. The weak central government is not capable of organizing a domestic industry to harvest their own resources, so most of these valuables are nationalized to other rich powerful nations. Basically, the world’s powers are taking advantage of the DCR and its vulnerability to protect their own natural resources.
Austria does not directly intervene in this foreign affair due to the neutral foundation the country was formed upon. However, this does not mean we simply do not care about the bloodshed and instability of the DCR. Austria is a forward thinking state and believe deeply in humanitarian values. Austria supports the works of the European Union (EU) and the European Commission. We will commit any funds available to this crisis in the Congo, but do not have much direct power due to our neutrality, lack of foreign aid funds, and military force. Our contribution will go the EU, which we feel will make more of a difference because of its strong presence in the world, and it’s huge workforce.
Austria hopes the problem in the DCR will be resolved in the immediate future. With the help of the EU, Austria would like to see the continuation of funds and aid flow continually being sent to the Congo. Also we would be in favor of some governing body, whether the EU, UN, NATO, or an independent government, overseeing elections and daily governmental procedures. This may combat the corruption and also reinstate trust in the Congolese people about their government. This governing group should help the Congolese government in the disarmament of rebels, as well as security around the borders, especially to the east (Rwanda).
The Austrian supported EU has contributed over '44 million in the DCR (provided by the European Union website). The EU’s specialized group that is responsible for the aid in the DCR is the European Commission Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO). They collect funds from the member states of the EU, so that it may positively affect the some 700,000 internally displaced people of the Congo (European Union website). They currently provide food assistance to the malnutritioned people in the Congo, as well as provide vaccinations, road and house reconstruction, and other aid related programs.
