Samenvatting

In this dissertation, an answer is given to the following question: How can EU Naval Forces contribute to development in the DRC? By means of qualitative research, it has been found that EU naval forces could contribute to development in the DRC in various ways.
Firstly, by means of assisting on the establishment of Riverine Domain Awareness (RDA) in the DRC. Riverine Domain Awareness is the effective understanding of ‘what is going on’ in the riverine and Great Lake areas. The extensive network of rivers in the DRC holds development potential that has thus far has not been optimised. Effective RDA could lead to improved mobility and trade, especially in a local context, and could contribute to improving the DRC’s safety and security situation in riverine areas.
In order to establish RDA, the DRC’s naval force – the Force Navale (FN) – will need reforms throughout the whole organisation in order for them to become capable of achieving RDA. These reforms are not likely to come from within the organisation and will therefore require external assistance. EU naval forces could take on this task, in order to contribute to the development of the DRC.
RDA could also be applied on a regional level, by means of establishing a strategic framework of naval forces in parts of the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) region with a riverine focus. This would be contributing to development in the GoG, which would evidently enlarge the DRC’s potential on increasing its export quotas, and thereby economic growth. The process of forming such a framework will require external assistance. The EU naval forces could provide these naval forces to the naval forces of these countries in the GoG.
Private actors could prove valuable in the process of development and establishing effective RDA, taking on different roles. Private actors could position themselves as ‘field diplomats’ in order to make effective use of their comparative advantage over public actors. In this role, private actors could provide the FN – and the EU – with essential (local) information that could be used to operate more efficiently. The private sector could contribute to the establishment of RDA by means of donations, which could be either financial or in the form of practical assistance and consultancy.
EU naval forces could strive to enhance relationships with private actors and encouraging and ‘mobilising’ them to contribute in such a way, that it would effectively be contributing the development of the DRC.