The United Nations did not deploy a peacekeeping mission in Africa for a quarter of a century following its contentious intervention in the Congo in the early 1960s. Due to this lack of military...Show moreThe United Nations did not deploy a peacekeeping mission in Africa for a quarter of a century following its contentious intervention in the Congo in the early 1960s. Due to this lack of military intervention, much of the existing scholarship has overlooked the organisation’s influence in the process of African decolonisation during the Cold War. In contrast, this thesis re-examines the relationship between United Nations intervention and African decolonisation through the case studies of the Congo and Southern Rhodesia between 1960 and 1980. During this period, the United Nations explored alternative means of diplomatic and economic intervention in Africa, examined in this thesis through the organisation’s relationship with the white minority government of Southern Rhodesia. This was not a period of non-intervention, but rather a time of complex reconfiguration for the organisation concerning its future role within the process of African decolonisation.Show less
The amount of deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have reached numbers as high as 4 million, a significant higher number than the 9/11 attacks. Our understanding of the world we live in...Show moreThe amount of deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have reached numbers as high as 4 million, a significant higher number than the 9/11 attacks. Our understanding of the world we live in is increasingly through fast-paced digital media, but conflicts are not always visible or shared which results in lack of awareness and distancing. Certain conflicts gain much more media attention in the international community but why some and not others? This thesis aims to explain why global visual culture is powerful in sharing information and why documentaries should be considered a beneficial medium to give a deeper understanding for the global citizen, especially within the fast-paced media landscape. By analyzing The Congo Tribunal documentary, this thesis portrays that slow-paced media such as documentaries, can give a better understanding of issues that are not bound by borders such as war, famine and poverty. The potential of visual global culture, specifically documentaries have the potential as an alternative contribution to the understanding of international politics.Show less
Nederland heeft tijdens de “scramble for Africa” geen pogingen gedaan om gebied in Afrika te bemachtigen. Sinds 1871 had zij geen grondgebied op dit continent. Desalniettemin was er wel degelijk...Show moreNederland heeft tijdens de “scramble for Africa” geen pogingen gedaan om gebied in Afrika te bemachtigen. Sinds 1871 had zij geen grondgebied op dit continent. Desalniettemin was er wel degelijk Nederlandse aanwezigheid in de vorm van private handelsbedrijven. Nederland was in 1884-85 één van de deelnemers aan de Koloniale Conferentie van Berlijn waarin een poging gedaan werd om afspraken te maken over het Congo-gebied. Een gebied waar een Nederlands bedrijf, de Nieuwe Afrikaansche Handels-Vennootschap, een belangrijke handelspositie had. In dit onderzoek staan de ogenschijnlijk tegenstrijdige belangen van enerzijds de Nederlandse handel in Congo en anderzijds de diplomatieke afwegingen van Nederlandse overheid centraal. Dit onderzoek is uitgevoerd op basis van correspondentie tussen de minister van Buitenlandse Zaken, de Nederlandse gezant in Berlijn, NAHV-directeur Hendrik Muller, de NAHV en diplomatieke correspondentie tussen de minister en ambassades evenals de officiële notulen waarvan een kopie is opgenomen in het NAHV-archief in het Nationaal Archief in Den Haag. Hoewel de Nederlandse staat geen interesse in het Congogebied toont, moet het wel een afweging maken tussen de wensen van de NAHV voor vrijhandel, tegen diplomatieke belangen in Nederlands-Indië en in Europa. Uit archiefonderzoek blijkt dat bij afwegingen rond diplomatieke standpunten de NAHV en haar wens voor vrijhandel constant meegewogen werd. Tijdens de Conferentie is op de achtergrond een actieve lobby aanwezig voor de erkenning van de door de Belgische Koning Leopold opgerichte Association Internationale du Congo. Het gebrek aan Nederlandse mogelijkheden om actief vrijhandel en daarmee de belangen van de NAHV te behartigen maakt de Nederlandse vertegenwoordiging gevoelig voor de belofte van de AIC om dit wel te doen. De NAHV en haar directeur deden dan ook actief beroep op de minister op de AIC te erkennen. Iets wat tot grote tevredenheid van de NAHV daadwerkelijk gebeurde. Nederland mag dan zelf geen aanspraak gemaakt hebben op Afrika, in haar steun voor de AIC om het eigen handelsbelang veilig te stellen, gaf ze de AIC en Leopold mede de mogelijkheid daar de Congo-Vrijstaat op te richten.Show less
Since their decolonisation, the DRC has endured a serie of wars leaving the country in a state of anarchy. Sexual violence has been used throughout the years as a tool to dominate the population...Show moreSince their decolonisation, the DRC has endured a serie of wars leaving the country in a state of anarchy. Sexual violence has been used throughout the years as a tool to dominate the population and undermine their powers in the society. The UN has been an important actor when assisting the victims of rape and they hold the responsability to protect the cvilians. However, they have not completly fulfilled their duties and the DRC remains known as the rape capital of the world. Despite MONUSCO being the largest and most expensive mission of the UN, the congolese populations still live with the fear to endure sexual violence, and its consequences, on a daily basis.Show less
Deze scriptie gaat over het verborgen verzet (infrapolitics) van de lokale bevolking uit Frans Congo tegen de Compagnie Commerciale de Colonisation du Congo Français (4CF). Deze compagnie was voor...Show moreDeze scriptie gaat over het verborgen verzet (infrapolitics) van de lokale bevolking uit Frans Congo tegen de Compagnie Commerciale de Colonisation du Congo Français (4CF). Deze compagnie was voor het grootste deel in handen van het Nederlandse bedrijf NAHV, die deze compagnie samen met twee andere oprichtte nadat Frans-Congo in concessies werd verdeeld. In deze scriptie betoog ik allereerst dat de geweldscontext in Frans-Congo minder absoluut was dan in Belgisch-Congo. Daarna wordt ingegaan op de houding van de bevolking en haar agency: de bevolking wilde meewerken wanneer dat goed uitkwam, maar werkte tegen zodra dat mogelijk was. Zo blijkt enerzijds dat 4CF nooit echt een succes werd, met name door het gebrek aan middelen en het machtsvacuüm dat er was, en anderzijds de ruimte en de wil van de lokale bevolking om zich op allerlei verborgen wijzen te verzetten tegen de koloniale machthebber.Show less
In the East of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) numerous minerals are mined everyday by local workers. These local workers face severe abuses of human rights as (mass) rape, murder and...Show moreIn the East of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) numerous minerals are mined everyday by local workers. These local workers face severe abuses of human rights as (mass) rape, murder and the looting of villages. These violations are mainly funded by the sale of the minerals, which are used for the production of telephones, laptops and other electronic devices. Several initiatives exist with the purpose to improve the circumstances these civilians are facing. In the Netherlands a few interesting projects were initiated regarding this topic. This thesis will focus on the Dutch initiatives attempting to challenge practices of conflict minerals in the current world order on two levels: the Conflict Free Tin Initiative (CFTI) of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the social enterprise Fairphone. The thesis will aim to give an overview of different initiatives, narratives and perspectives on the conflict mineral case in Congo and will place this in the broader context of the theoretical debate on world order. The thesis will answer the following research question: To what extent are the structures of world order (debated by IR theories) being challenged by Dutch initiatives – specifically, governmental initiatives and the social enterprise Fairphone - regarding the conflict mineral case in Congo, and what implications do these cases have for the theoretical debate on world order?Show less
This thesis, through its use of previoulsy unused primary sources, adds to already existing knowledge with regard to the position of President Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana and the role of events in...Show moreThis thesis, through its use of previoulsy unused primary sources, adds to already existing knowledge with regard to the position of President Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana and the role of events in postcolonial Congo in his poltical vision.Show less
The aim of this thesis is to explore the role of Chinese economic involvement in Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as in the specific case of the Democratic Republic of Congo, in order to evaluate the...Show moreThe aim of this thesis is to explore the role of Chinese economic involvement in Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as in the specific case of the Democratic Republic of Congo, in order to evaluate the extent to which dependency theory accurately describes these relationships. While this paper argues that patterns of dependency might not be accurate in describing Sino-African trade, the same cannot be asserted when looking at Sino-Congolese trade, which appears to embody centre-periphery dynamics. However, when addressing Chinese economic relations with Congo, another major aspect that needs consideration is investment. The potential impact that Chinese investment could have in the DRC deepens the analysis on the nature of Sino-Congolese relationship and proves that dependency theory does not provide an accurate depiction even in the Congolese case.Show less
