European Commission - Speech [Check Against Delivery] Speech by Commissioner Lahbib at the European Parliament on the Recent Mission to the Great Lakes Region Brussels, 4 May 2026 Speech by Commissioner Lahbib at the European Parliament on the Recent Mission to the Great Lakes Region Let me start with what I saw in Goma. I toured hospitals. I met families who had fled with nothing but the clothes on their backs. I me...
European Commission - Speech [Check Against Delivery] Speech by Commissioner Lahbib at the European Parliament on the Recent Mission to the Great Lakes Region Brussels, 4 May 2026 Speech by Commissioner Lahbib at the European Parliament on the Recent Mission to the Great Lakes Region Let me start with what I saw in Goma. I toured hospitals. I met families who had fled with nothing but the clothes on their backs. I met women with physical and psychological wounds that will last a lifetime. "The situation is catastrophic." Those were my words when I left, and I want them to be the starting point of this debrief. This humanitarian situation is a priority for me, and I am glad it is also a priority for you. This crisis has lasted far too long, but it is not forgotten and it must not be ignored. Since M23 seized large areas of eastern Congo, including Goma and Bukavu, millions of people have paid the price. Families displaced, children uprooted, women suffering from horrific violence, communities cut off from help. Civilians in eastern DRC are trapped between bullets and hunger. That is why I decided to travel to the region myself, enhancing European humanitarian diplomacy through an active engagement with all the parties, further to the mandate I got from the FAC. I went to Kinshasa, then to Burundi, where I visited a refugee transit centre near the border with the DRC. Then I went to Rwanda and finally Goma, the first visit by a European Union delegation to the city since it was seized by M23. I met the three presidents, ministers, humanitarian workers, civil society and refugees. And I also met AFC/M23. When lives are at stake, we must speak to everyone who can open doors, lift barriers, and ease the suffering. That is a legitimate humanitarian choice. My message everywhere was the same. Clear and direct: respect international humanitarian law, protect civilians, protect aid workers, and allow humanitarian access. Let me also add what I said publicly in Goma: international humanitarian law is not a buffet table. You don't pick and choose. It is a duty for all parties, and it must be fully respected. My goal was to observe and listen, to obtain concrete commitments, and most importantly, to get results. And we did. First, access to basic services, starting with healthcare for the suffering. In Kinshasa, I co-chaired a roundtable with the Prime Minister to find practical solutions for eastern Congo. A follow-up Task Force is now in place, working on water supply, medicines, and vaccines reaching areas under M23 control. Second, humanitarian corridors. With EU support, a northern corridor between Beni and Goma is now functioning, but South Kivu remained almost unreachable. In some cases, humanitarians had to cross three countries to reach people in need. That is unacceptable. After sustained advocacy, I secured agreement from both Kinshasa and Goma for a southern corridor from Bukavu to Uvira and beyond. Since early April, the first humanitarian convoys have started moving. That means food moving, medicine moving, and help moving. It is also a source of hope for millions of desperate people. Third, my visit helped unlock discussions on reopening Goma airport, starting with humanitarian flights. AFC/M23 agreed to begin technical talks during the mission. Our aviation and logistics experts are now on the ground carrying out an assessment. There was one further gesture: the release of around 400 women, minors, and wounded personnel of the Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo (FARDC), facilitated by the ICRC. Money alone will not stop the suffering. Aid workers must be able to reach people safely and without obstacles. But funding still matters, and the EU is delivering. Last year, we were the largest humanitarian donor in the DRC. And this year, we have already allocated more than €81 million for the humanitarian response across the Great Lakes. That covers food assistance, emergency healthcare, water and sanitation, shelter, and protection for survivors of sexual violence. We also have humanitarian air bridges and local airlifts running, getting aid to areas that roads cannot reach. Let us be equally clear: humanitarian aid can ease suffering, but it cannot solve this crisis. The only real solution is political. That is why EU Foreign Ministers decided to also intensify high-level diplomatic outreach. As part of that effort, I repeated our call for de-escalation, a ceasefire, and the continuation of peace talks. Now the parties must honour their commitments and show real political will to end this conflict. At the Foreign Affairs Council, Ministers also reaffirmed our support for the peace efforts led by the United States, Qatar, and the African Union. African leadership is central to lasting peace in the region. The European Union stands ready to increase its political, technical and financial support to the African Union-led mediation. While high-level diplomacy continues, we are also supporting dialogue and peacebuilding at local level. The EU is also investing in the long-term resilience of communities in eastern Congo. Under the current EU budget, around €174 million supports the health sector in the DRC. That means more medicines, more health workers, and better access to care. At the same time, the EU is a leading donor in the justice sector. Since 2019, we have invested more than 35 million euros in justice reform to support courts, police, and the fight against impunity. Last year, we adopted a new €6 million programme to help communities solve conflicts peacefully and improve access to justice. We are also addressing gender-based violence. Our €20 million “United for Gender Equality” flagship programme helps prevent violence against women and girls. It strengthens institutions, supports women's economic empowerment, and improves protection for women and girls. Through our partner ENABEL, with over €18 million, we are helping provide protection and economic opportunities in provinces like Ituri and South Kivu, where sexual violence remains a horrific reality. Agreements on paper are one thing. Implementation on the ground is another. So far, the progress is real: the service access mechanism is working, the corridors are operational, and the airport assessment is underway. Yet the conflict continues. Civilians continue to suffer. There are flagrant violations of international humanitarian law and humanitarians are not being spared. We tragically lost a UNICEF colleague after a drone attack in Goma. I will say it again: humanitarian workers are not targets. They are silent heroes and must be protected. Aid organisations on the ground are also being squeezed between different authorities, double taxation, and competing demands. This makes aid slower, more expensive, and less effective at the very moment when global humanitarian funding is shrinking. This toxic mix is a death sentence for people who have no other lifeline. The coming months will be crucial. We will see whether all parties honour their commitments. If they do not, more humanitarian diplomacy will be needed. I will keep this Parliament closely informed. When I was in Goma, I met women and children who had lost everything. They had fled violence with nothing. Yet in their faces, I saw hope and dignity. They deserve more than our sympathy. They deserve action, not just in moments of headline news but every week, until this crisis ends. You can count on me to stay engaged, and I know I can count on you. Europe stands with the people of the DRC. SPEECH/26/973
Speech Brief