On the case of Jean-Jacques Wondo in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

B100070/2025

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the case of Jean-Jacques Wondo in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

(2025/2510(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to Rule 150 (5) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas on 13 September 2024 Jean-Jacques Wondo, Belgian-Congolese military expert, was sentenced to death by a military court in Kinshasa for his role in the coup attempt in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in May 2024; whereas the main item of the evidence was a 2016 photo of Wondo with the coup leader Christian Malanga; whereas the judges imposed the death penalty on 37 defendants;

B. whereas in March 2024, the DRC government decided to reinstate the death penalty by lifting its 21-year moratorium on executions;

C. whereas the EU allocated 424 million Euro grants to the partnership with the DRC for the period 2021-2024; whereas the EU’s support is also focused on security, police and justice; whereas a 2013 European Court of Auditors’ report considered that the effectiveness of the EU’s 1.9 billion Euro aid to the DRC in the period 2003-2011 had been sorely limited, with less than half of the programmes likely to deliver the intended results; whereas the report criticised the DRC’s inadequate commitment to justice reform;

1. Considers that the evidence against Wondo is weak and is concerned about his deteriorating health condition; notes that there are new elements in the case, proving his innocence, and calls on the Court of Appeal to take these fully into account;

2. Is worried that the removal of the moratorium on executions together with the inefficient and ineffective justice system, increases the risks of extrajudicial and arbitrary executions by law enforcement officials and security personnel,

3. Notes that for many years EU policies in the DRC have strongly prioritised the reform of the security forces and the justice sector, aiming at reducing state predation against the population; considers that EU policies have in fact continued to support the extractive character of the DRC’s neo-patrimonial system; finds it unacceptable that the EU has continued to finance a justice system that is still driven by corruption, predation and coercion and constitutes a threat to the physical security of citizens of the DRC, Member States of the EU and other countries; calls, therefore, on the EU to withdraw or reorient its engagement in the DRC;

4. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice- President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the European External Action Service, the governments and parliaments of the Member States and the President, government and parliament of the DRC.