| ID | 107839 |
| Title Proper | From rapid reaction to delayed inaction |
| Other Title Information | Congo, the UN and the EU |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Gowan, Richard |
| Publication | 2011. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | In 2008, the UN faced a military and humanitarian crisis in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and asked the EU to send a rapid-reaction force to help stabilize the situation. The EU failed to do so. This article analyses the immediate circumstances and consequences of this non-deployment. It also identifies longer-term flaws in the EU-UN relationship which contributed to European inaction in this crisis. The article argues that the events of 2008 meant that over-inflated expectations of European rapid-reaction capabilities have been replaced with an assumption that the EU is no longer a significant military player in sub-Saharan Africa. Studying this 'non-event' provides a clearer understanding of the wider EU-UN relationship than can be derived from studying examples of successful inter-institutional cooperation alone. |
| `In' analytical Note | International Peacekeeping Vol. 18, No. 5; Nov 2011: p593-611 |
| Journal Source | International Peacekeeping Vol. 18, No. 5; Nov 2011: p593-611 |
| Key Words | UN ; EU ; United Nations ; European Union ; Military |