Plunder and Peacekeeping Cultures: The Role of EU Foreign Policy in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Abstract

Despite the continuation of conflict and other security issues in the country, there has been a surprisingly sparse amount of literature since 2006 concerning the European Union’s (EU) foreign policy role in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This thesis makes the argument that the EU is the most effective international actor to intervene in the DRC, the root of this argument lies with the EU’s previous experiences in peacekeeping and security sector reform (SSR), and drawing upon the argument of a problematic ‘peacekeeping culture’ within UN peacekeeping operations, which is less symptomatic of the EU. Also in comparison to other international actors such as the African Union, the US, and NATO, the EU seems to come out on top in terms of both capacity and legitimacy. Since the EU’s inaction over the situation in Goma, North Kivu, in 2008, there seems to have been a period of EU detachment from the DRC and the issues it continues to face. This thesis also argues that the EU is best placed to impose economic sanctions upon those enabling the trade in conflict minerals in the mines of the eastern DRC, a trade which contributes to continuing warfare and human rights abuses, coupled with a programme of income aid and commensurate healthcare to support civilian populations affected by economic sanctions. Lastly and most importantly, the DRC must be able to defend its sovereignty from neighbouring states and internal rebel groups, and therefore the EU should increase its so far successful SSR programmes in order to aid the DRC in controlling its borders and maintaining internal security.