European Union Military Operation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2006)

EUFOR RD Congo was a short European Union deployment in 2006 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. On 25 April 2006, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1671 (2006), authorising the temporary deployment of a European Union force to support the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) during the period encompassing the general elections in the DR Congo, which began on 30 July 2006.

EUFOR RD Congo logo

German Troops during EUFOR

The European Council approved the launching of the EU military operation and appointed Lieutenant General Karlheinz Viereck (Germany) Operation Commander and Major General Christian Damay (France) EU Force Commander. The Operational Headquarters was the German-nominated Armed Forces Operational Command - Einsatzführungskommando - at Potsdam, Germany.[1]

The mission was tasked with:

• supporting and providing security to MONUC installations and personnel;
• contributing to airport protection in Kinshasa;
• contributing to the protection of civilians under imminent threat of physical violence;
• evacuation operations in case of emergency.

The mission came to an end on 30 November 2006.[2]