[pt] O objetivo deste estudo é compreender o status da imprensa congolesa na era das Tecnologias da Informação e da Comunicação, em uma República Democrática do Congo ocupada pelos poderes patrimonialistas por meio de seus proxs, notadamente o Ruanda, o Uganda, alguns congoleses. Com base em uma análise de conteúdo, abrangendo o período de 2018 a 2020, e numa perspectiva das teorias de agenda setting e ecologia das mídias, é necessário sublinhar que, do ponto de vista da análise qualitativa usando o software Nvivo 14, a imprensa congolesa é ao mesmo tempo papagaiótica, híbrida e crítica. A análise quantitativa de conteúdo, pelo contrário, permite estabelecer um fio condutor que estrutura o conjunto da imprensa congolesa: desde a colonização até o hoje, a imprensa congolesa é fundamentalmente thuri-papagaiótica (retransmitindo fielmente o discurso do ator sociopolítico, elogiando-o). Com exceção de uma parte da imprensa pré-independência que anunciava o início da biocomunicação, ou seja, uma abordagem jornalística que coloca a vida, os seres vivos, o ambiente no qual e com o qual eles vivem, o interesse geral, a busca pela verdade e o bem-estar ético do jornalista no centro de toda a atividade comunicacional, a imprensa congolesa, no seu conjunto, retransmite e repete quase fielmente o discurso de qualquer ator sociopolítico que deseja divulgar sua ação. É quase impossível libertar o Congo com as mídias thuri-papagaióticas desejas pelas potencias patrimonialistas a fim de adormecer, emburrecer o povo e perpetuar a ocupação do Congo e, consequentemente, o sofrimento do povo. Mas não é possível ficar indiferente perante o drama do povo congolês. É por isso que pomos a libertação do Congo pelas mídias como uma obrigação, uma urgência e uma necessidade existencial a partir da prática do que denominamos biocomunicação. Nesse sentido, em uma perspectiva de liberação de si, compromisso e apropriação das TICs, as mídias do Pequeno resto do Congo deveriam ser dialógicas, verdadeiras, independentes, críticas, performativas, capazes de imaginação e criatividade. A tragédia da República Democrática do Congo não parece ser fatalidade. Mas é difícil ter uma RD Congo libertada sem jornalistas heroicos. Daí a importância do heroísmo jornalístico e da biocomunicação. / [en] The aim of this study is to understand the status of the Congolese press in the age of Information and Communication Technologies, in a Democratic Republic of Congo occupied by patrimonialist powers through their proxies, notably Rwanda, Uganda, some Congolese. On the basis of content analysis, covering the period from 2018 to 2020, and from the perspective of agenda setting and media ecology theories, it is necessary to note that, from the point of view of qualitative analysis using Nvivo 14 software, the Congolese press is at once perroquetic, hybrid and critical. Quantitative content analysis, on the other hand, enables us to establish a common thread running through the Congolese press as a whole: from colonization to the time of this study, the Congolese press is fundamentally thuri-perroquetic (faithfully transmitting the discourse of the socio-political actor by praising him). With the exception of a part of the pre-independence press that heralded the beginning of biocommunication, i.e. a journalistic approach that puts life, living beings, the environment in which and with which they live, the general interest, the search for truth and the ethical well-being of the journalist at the heart of all communicative activity, the Congolese press, as a whole, relays, repeats almost faithfully the discourse of the most high-profile socio-political actors. It is virtually impossible to liberate the Congo with the thuri-perroquetic media designed by the patrimonialist powers to numb and dumb down the people and perpetuate the occupation of the Congo and, consequently, the suffering of the Congolese people. But it is impossible to remain indifferent to the tragedy and misery of the Congolese people. That s why we see the liberation of the DR Congo through the media as an obligation, an emergency and an existential necessity, based on the practice of what we call biocommunication. In this sense, to liberate the DR Congo, in a perspective of self-liberation, commitment and appropriation of ICTs, the media of the Petit reste du Congo should be dialogical, truthful, independent, critical, performative, heroic, capable of imagination and creativity. The tragedy of DR Congo is not inevitable. But it is difficult to have a liberated DR Congo without heroic journalists. Hence the importance of journalistic heroism and biocommunication.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / Includes bibliography / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Conflicts are a prevalent phenomenon in Africa. Of major wars after the Second World War, many occurred on the African continent. Families go to bed not sure of seeing one another on the following day. Conflicts and the lack of peace in Africa have been correctly identified as a major obstacle on the emancipation path that the African masses tread from poverty, underdevelopment and much want. Africa thus needs to take conflict resolution and the maintenance of peace on the continent seriously. One cannot, in any way, attempt to solve something that one does not understand. Research is, thus, important in the search for a peaceful Africa. In expression of such sentiments, the current study was undertaken to gain an understanding of peacemaking in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. The study seeks to make a comparative analysis of Namibia’s peacemaking role in this region. Such was wanting or minimal in the literature on Namibia. The study considered two case studies, those of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Angola. The study found that Namibia is not only an active participant in SADC peacemaking, but it has contributed to the return of peace and stability in the region; the country played an important role in peacemaking in both the DRC and Angola. It found various similarities and differences between the two case studies. It was established that Namibia takes a twofold approach to peacemaking for it engaged in both diplomatic and military actions. Additionally, the study found that Namibia’s peacemaking role, in the cases considered, was conducted in a secretive manner. This is to say that the approach was somewhat secretive albeit becoming public knowledge later. While all cases are regarded as successful in terms of objectives vis- à-vis results analysis, the study found that the Angolan peacemaking was more successful than the DRC. This comparative analysis is, therefore, presented for those seeking to understand Namibia’s peacemaking in the region and also as a basis for future studies. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Konflik is ʼn algemene verskynsel in Afrika. Van die grootste oorloë sedert die Tweede Wêreldoorlog het op die Afrikavasteland plaasgevind. Gesinne gaan saans bed toe sonder om te weet of hulle mekaar die volgende dag sal sien. Konflik en die gebrek aan vrede in Afrika word met reg bestempel as ʼn groot struikelblok vir die Afrikamassas se bevryding van armoede, onderontwikkeling en uiterste gebrek. Afrika behoort dus erns te maak met konflikbeslegting en die handhawing van vrede op die vasteland. Tog kan ʼn mens nie eintlik iets probeer oplos indien jy dit nie volkome begryp nie. Navorsing is dus belangrik in die strewe na ʼn vreedsame Afrika. Hierdie studie is derhalwe onderneem om ʼn begrip te bied van vredestigting in die Suider-Afrikaanse Ontwikkelingsgemeenskap- (SAOG-)streek. Meer bepaald bied die ondersoek ʼn vergelykende uiteensetting van Namibië se rol in vredestigting in die SAOG-streek – ʼn onderwerp waaroor daar tot dusver weinig, indien enigiets, in literatuur oor Namibië te vinde was. Die studie ondersoek twee gevallestudies, naamlik die Demokratiese Republiek van die Kongo (DRK) en Angola. Die navorsing bevind dat Namibië nie net ʼn aktiewe deelnemer aan SAOG-vredestigting is nie, maar ook tot die herstel van vrede en stabiliteit in die streek bygedra het; die land het ʼn belangrike rol in konflikbeslegting in sowel die DRK as Angola gespeel. Verskeie ooreenkomste en verkille tussen die twee gevallestudies het uit die navorsing na vore gekom. Dit blyk dat Namibië ’n tweeledige benadering tot vredestigting volg: Die land onderneem diplomatieke sowel as militêre optrede. Verder het die studie bevind dat Namibië sy rol as konflikbeslegter in die twee gevalle wat ondersoek is op ’n skugter manier vervul het. Dit is om te sê dat die benadering was ietwat geheimsinnig al is dit besig om openbare kennis later. Hoewel alle gevalle as geslaagd beskou kan word aan die hand van die oogmerke en die uiteindelike uitkomste, het die studie bevind dat vredestigting in Angola geslaagder was as in die DRK. Hierdie vergelykende uiteensetting word dus aangebied vir diegene wat Namibië se benadering tot vredestigting in die streek wil verstaan, en dien terselfdertyd as grondslag vir toekomstige studies.

This study on "The road to constitutionalism and democracy in post-colonial Africa: the case of the Democratic Republic of Congo" revolves around a major research problem: What has been the road to constitutionalism and democracy in Africa since independence and how can constitutionalism and democracy be established and consolidated on the African continent? The importance of the problem and its implications for the life of millions of African people and the state of the literature still dominated by persons foreign to Africa make constitutionalism and democracy one of the most fascinating and challenging intellectual projects, particularly among African scholars. This work is a contribution to the development of knowledge and to the building and consolidation of constitutionalism and democracy in Africa. It revisits and critically examines the concepts and the various discourses and voices we have heard form both inside and mostly outside the continent. It highlights the African struggle, explores the major trends, and stresses the challenges and prospects for constitutionalism and democracy in Africa. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is a case study. The research deals with the unfinished struggle of the people of the Congo and explains why the Congo has gone from DRC to DRC via Zaire, from one crisis of the Congo in the 1960s to another crisis of the Congo since the early 1990s and why the DRC history has been rehearsing in a vicious circle of coups and countercoups, rebellions, unsuccessful national conferences, authoritarian and unconstitutional regimes. Central to the crisis in many African states, including the DRC, is the crisis of constitutionalism and democracy and the failure of the post-colonial state. The study ends with the conclusion that constitutionalism and democracy also belong to Africa and constitute a prerequisite for African survival and renaissance. / Constitutional and Public International Law / LL.D.

The mission of the Gareganze's Brothers in Christ Church facing the chaos of the socio-political situation in DRC resulting mostly from the question of the Congolese nationality is to dynamise the christian mission and to protect the poor, set free the captives, because God is always at their side. The DRC, though, has enormous natural resources and the competent human resources capabilities. The national institutions seem to be unable to handle this situation because of the lack of political culture, mismanagement and moral untidiness. The successive Congolese crises mostly are the same, the common denominator resides in the causes that brought them about. The main objectives of the antagonist groups are political leadership and material wealth. The findings of our analysis will help the Church of Christ in Congo, to fulfill the prophetic mission and the vision of God, for the positive transformation of the Congolese society. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Div. (Missiology)

This dissertation explores the need to involve churches in mission according to the Lord Jesus Christ, whose mission was indeed holistic and comprehensive. To achieve this goal, the study calls upon churches to move from a “maintenance Christianity” status, which has been almost a way of life for churches, to a holistic and comprehensive approach to mission. Practically speaking, this is to be illustrated through a case study of churches in the North Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The churches in this part of the world present many challenges that sustain such an exploration, namely, misunderstanding regarding mission, lack of well-skilled and visionary church leaders, maintenance Christianity mentality, spirit of tribalism among Christians, and poverty. The study concludes with practical recommendations on how the issues raised through the dissertation can be applied to a broader field than the churches in the North Kivu Province. / Christian Spirituality, Church History & Missiology) / M. Th. (Missiology)

Le dimanche 1er janvier 2012, la République Démocratique du Congo devenait le 48ème Etat africain sur 54 à se doter de la TVA. C’est une ordonnance –loi, du 20 août 2010, prise sur habilitation législative et complétée par un décret du 22 novembre 2011 qui a fait de ce pays le dernier géant du continent à opérer la transition fiscale voulue par le FMI. Il a fallu dix ans de travaux au sein de la DGI, en participation avec les professionnels et sous le contrôle permanent d’un représentant à demeure du FMI et de missions semestrielles de contrôle, pour que cet impôt s’applique au total à 5600 contribuables ayant plus de 80 000 dollars de chiffre d’affaires, avec une espérance d’arriver à 15 000 assujettis dans un pays aux60 millions d’habitants.Par conséquent, si l’élaboration progressive et participative de cette TVA est une réussite intégralement administrative, puisqu’à part une brève consultation du Sénat, le Parlement n’ a pas eu la possibilité d’émettre un consentement, même après sa réélection en 2012, lorsqu’il a fallu compléter le régime initial , avec un droit d’option par exemple, au bout d’un an d’une gestion qui a posé les difficiles problèmes attendus, pour le traitement comptable des remboursements de crédits d’amont, une question iconoclaste reste posée : était ce vraiment une nécessité que d’avoir une TVA dans un pays où la guerre endémique sévit à l’Est ? Certes les autres pays africains l’ont. Le modèle RDC de la TVA introduite, s’inspire d’ailleurs largement de ce qui se fait dans le continent, avec des seuils d’imposition, des exonérations et une unicité de taux que l’on retrouve en d’autres pays et qui est conforme aux prescriptions de directives harmonisatrices d’unions régionales . Mais mis à part la contrainte du FMI quine laisse pas le choix, même avec des rentrées fiscales nettement améliorées, par rapport à celles de l’ancienne taxation du chiffre d’affaires,n’aurait il pas été plus efficace d’aller à l’audace d’une mutation de la technologie des droits de douane , pour les rendre déductibles, tout en les conservant, au lieu de s’aligner sur la solution classique de leur réduction et de leur suppression, avec en compensation l’introduction précisément d’une TVA ? C’est ce changement de paradigme dans la politique fiscale que cet ouvrage propose en final d’un bilan critique de l’introduction de la TVA. / Sunday 1 January 2012, the Democratic Republic of Congo became the 48th African state of 54 to adopt VAT. This is an order-law of 20 August 2010, taken on enabling legislation and supplemented by a decree of November 22,2011 that has made this country the last giant of the continent to the transition tax required by the IMF. It took ten years of work within the DGI, in participation with professionals and under the constant supervision of a representative of the IMF andremains biannual mission control for this tax applies to all taxpayers in 5600with more than 80 thousand dollars in revenue, with a hope of reaching15,000 subjects in a country with 60 million inhabitants.Therefore, if the progressive development and the participatory VAT isa full administrative success, since a part from a brief consultation with the Senate, Parliament has not been able to issue a consent, even after his reelection in 2012 when it came to complete the original plan, with a right ofoption for example, after a year's management who posed difficult problems expected for the accounting treatment of loan repayments upstream,iconoclastic a question remains unanswered: was it really a necessity to havea VAT in a country where war rages endemic to the east?While other African countries have. The DRC model of VAT introduced alsodraws heavily on what happens in the continent, with tax thresholds,exemptions and uniformity of rates found in other countries and complies withguidelines harmonizers’ regional unions. But apart from the stress of the IMFleaves no choice, even with tax revenues significantly improved compared tothe old taxation revenue, would not it have been more efficient to go to the audacity of a changing technology tariffs to make them tax-deductible, while keeping them instead to align itself with the classical solution of their reduction and deletion, with the introduction of compensation precisely a VAT?This is a paradigm shift in fiscal policy that this book offers a critical final of the introduction of VAT.

En 2001, la République Démocratique du Congo s’est vigoureusement engagée avec le soutien de diverses organisations internationales pour réduire la pauvreté à partir de la stratégie de croissance. Dix ans plus tard, ce pays pointait à la dernière place du classement réalisé par le Programme des Nations unies pour le développement (PNUD) en fonction de l’indice du développement humain (IDH) des pays. En marge, ont émergé et se sont développées de multiples initiatives locales fondées sur des stratégies relationnelles et dont certaines sont présentées dans ce travail. Alors que la stratégie officielle contre la pauvreté a échoué, la société a survécu et évolue. En partant de ce constat, cette étude découvre que les approches conceptuelles et les solutions à la base de la lutte contre la pauvreté sont souvent réductrices. Elles se doublent malheureusement souvent d’une certaine tendance à oublier que toute pauvreté n’est pas qu’à combattre : la pauvreté anthropologique – qui est celle de notre condition fragile – est souvent oubliée, la pauvreté volontaire est reléguée au second rang. Finalement, cette étude montre qu’il ne faut pas trop simplifier le problème de la pauvreté afin de redonner du sens aux actions entreprises pour la combattre, et ainsi étendre la portée de ces actions. Cette question du sens est un élément décisif pour bien appréhender la lutte contre la pauvreté : avoir une vision réductrice d’une action revient à en diminuer considérablement la portée. La lutte contre la pauvreté aujourd’hui doit pouvoir redonner du sens à la vie en ayant une vision intégrale de l’existence humaine, intimement liée à l’anthropologie que présente le message chrétien. / In 2001, The Democratic Republic of Congo strongly committed itself, with the support of diverse international organizations, to reduce poverty based on the economic growth strategy. Ten years later the nation found itself at the bottom of the countries produced classification by The United Nations Development Program of the Human Development Index (HDI). Besides that program, several local initiatives have come out and developed, based on relational strategies, some of which are presented in this work. While the official strategy against poverty has failed, the society has survived and progressed. Based on this statement, this study discovers that the conceptual approaches and solutions at the base of the fight against poverty often are constricting. Unfortunately, these restrictive attitudes multiply themselves with some tendencies which tend to forget that all kind of poverty isn’t to be fought : the anthropological poverty – which is that of our fragile condition – is often omitted and voluntary poverty is often relegated to the second place. Finally, this study shows that the poverty problem should not be simplified with the intention of giving sense to the actions adopted to fight it, and in this way extend the scope of these actions. This question of sense is decisive in viewing the fight against poverty : a simplistic vision of an action, means, indeed, a considerable reduction of its scope. Today, the fight against poverty should be capable of giving sense to life incorporating an integral vision of the human existence, intimately related to the anthropology presented by the Christian message.

RESUME<p>La Trypanosomiase Humaine Africaine (THA) appelée également « maladie du sommeil» est une maladie parasitaire provoquée par un protozoaire du genre Trypanosoma dont deux sous-espèces (T. brucei gambiense et T. brucei rhodesiense) sont pathogènes à l’homme. La stratégie de lutte contre cette maladie est essentiellement basée sur le dépistage précoce et le traitement des malades, complété avec le contrôle du vecteur. Cependant, l’utilisation du service de dépistage de la THA par les communautés exposées représente un défi majeur. L’adhésion aux campagnes de dépistage actif avec des équipes mobiles spécialisées était en-dessous de 50% dans certains villages endémiques fin des années nonante. De surcroît, l’utilisation des services de santé fixes en RDC est si faible que ceci compromet le dépistage passif dans les formations sanitaires fixes. Notre hypothèse est que cette faible utilisation des services de santé pourrait elle-même être due à un problème d’acceptabilité du dépistage et traitement de la THA par les communautés vivant dans les zones de transmission de la THA. Tout ceci compromet l’élimination de la THA comme problème de santé publique, un but que s’est fixé la communauté internationale d’ici 2020.<p>Ce travail a comme objectif d’explorer cette dimension socioculturelle de la maladie qui est souvent négligée dans le contrôle de la THA et générer une meilleure connaissance de ces aspects.<p><p>Nous avons réalisé cinq études en total pour adresser la question de la sous-utilisation des services de dépistage et traitement de la THA par les communautés et sa relation avec l’acceptabilité des services. Nous avons d’abord développé une première étude qui évalue les résultats du traitement de la THA en analysant rétrospectivement les données de routine du programme de contrôle de la THA pour l’année 2006 à 2008. Ensuite, nous avons réalisé trois études qualitatives par focus group (groupe focalisé) et entretiens individuels pour documenter la dimension socioculturelle de la lutte contre la THA. D’abord une étude qui a exploré les perceptions sur la THA dans la communauté, suivi par une étude qui explore les perceptions sur le traitement de la THA et une autre qui se concentre sur les pratiques diagnostics des professionnels de santé face à un syndrome neurologique en contexte de ressources limitées. <p><p>Une cinquième étude combine une enquête-ménage avec des focus groups et des entretiens individuels pour explorer les perceptions de la communauté sur la santé en général et les services de santé. <p>Nous avons comparé les obstacles à l’utilisation des services de dépistage et traitement de la THA identifiés dans ce travail avec les messages de sensibilisation sur la THA utilisés au programme de contrôle de la THA en RDC et nous avons développé des recommandations stratégiques.<p><p>L’évaluation des indicateurs de performances sur l’issue de traitement montre que le taux de suivi post-thérapeutique est faible dans son ensemble :25 % pour le premier suivi de six mois et moins d’un pourcent des patients revient pour la dernière visite de contrôle au mois 24. Nous avons aussi observé dans cette étude un taux d’échec au mélarsoprol et à la pentamidine respectivement de 30% et de 22 % au Kasaï Oriental qui sont cependant difficilement interprétables, car le dénominateur est incomplet. Comme très peu de patients reviennent au contrôle post-thérapeutique, cette proportion est probablement biaisée vers ceux qui sont en échec de traitement.<p><p>L’étude de perception de la THA montre que la maladie est bien connue dans les communautés vivant dans les zones à risque. Par contre, plusieurs obstacles au dépistage et traitement de la THA ont été identifiés. Les plus importants sont :la toxicité des médicaments de la THA, les obstacles financiers, l’inadéquation entre le programme de dépistage des équipes mobiles et les occupations des communautés, les interdits qui accompagnent le traitement de la THA, le manque de confidentialité et la peur de la ponction lombaire. <p>L’étude sur la perception du traitement de la THA a montré que le mélarsoprol est perçu comme un médicament toxique et est surnommé « médicament des interdits ». Par contre, le régime NECT est perçu comme un nouveau médicament moins toxique qui a rendu les interdits liés au mélarsoprol obsolètes sauf un seul, celui de ne pas avoir de rapport sexuel pendant la période de traitement et de suivi post thérapeutique qui est de 6 mois. Les interdits ont été instaurés de manière empirique par les professionnels de santé et les communautés pour mitiger les effets indésirables du mélarsoprol. Leur violation pourrait entrainer des conséquences graves et mortelles. Ces interdits sont fortement ancrés dans les croyances de la communauté et constituent aujourd’hui un obstacle au dépistage et traitement. <p><p>L’étude sur les pratiques diagnostiques des professionnels de santé en matière de syndrome neurologique en contexte de ressources limitées a montré qu’en zone rurale le diagnostic est principalement clinique. Les obstacles perçus au diagnostic de confirmation sont essentiellement d’ordre financier puisque le patient doit tout financer de sa poche. Autres obstacles évoqués sont le manque d’outils de diagnostic et la perception de la communauté qui voit le clinicien comme un devin (petit dieu) ou oracle capable de « deviner » directement la maladie sans passer par un processus diagnostique de laboratoire.<p>L’étude sur les perceptions de la santé et des services de santé a montré que les capacités de travailler (82%) et les capacités de se mouvoir (66%) sont les signes de bonne santé les plus perçus. 90% des responsables des ménages perçoivent positivement la santé de leur ménage. Les opinions sur le service de santé sont partagées.<p><p>Les études présentées dans ce travail ont généré des nouvelles connaissances sur la dimension socioculturelle de la THA. L’analyse des messages de sensibilisation sur la THA utilisés par le programme de contrôle de la THA en RDC en termes de comparaison avec les obstacles au dépistage et traitement de la THA identifiés dans ce travail montre que ces aspects socioculturels bien qu’étant des véritables goulots d’étranglements dans la dynamique de la lutte contre la THA ne sont pas bien ciblés par la communication sur la THA. <p>Les perspectives des communautés exposées au risque de la THA doivent être adressées par un dialogue continu entre professionnels de santé et communautés adapté aux réalités locales. Ainsi il sera possible d’améliorer de manière opérationnelle les stratégies d’information, éducation et communication, et de façon plus large, le dépistage et traitement de la THA en intégrant la dimension socioculturelle de la THA dans la politique de lutte contre la THA. <p><p>SUMMARY<p>Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), also known as “sleeping sickness” is a parasitic disease caused by protozoa of the species Trypanosoma. There are two types that infect humans, Trypanosoma brucei gambiense and Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense. The strategy used to control sleeping sickness consists of early case detection and treatment of patients, together with vector control. Meanwhile, utilization/access to HAT screening by the affected communities remains a major challenge. Adherence to active screening programs with mobile units was below 50% in certain endemic villages end of the 90’s. Moreover, utilization of fixed health facilities in DRC is so low that it compromises passive case finding. Our hypothesis is that this low utilization of health services is caused by a problem of acceptance of case detection and treatment of HAT by the communities living in the HAT transmission zones. This compromises the target of the international community to eliminate HAT as a public health problem by 2020. This thesis wants to explore and tries to generate more knowledge on the socio-cultural aspect that is often neglected in the control of HAT. <p><p>We conducted five studies to address the lack of community participation in HAT screening and treatment activities and the relation with acceptance of these services. <p>The first study evaluated the results of HAT treatment by retrospectively analyzing data of the routine HAT control program for the period 2006-2008. <p><p>Afterwards we performed three qualitative studies consisting of focus group discussions and individual interviews to document the socio-cultural dimension of the fight against HAT. The first study explored the community perceptions regarding sleeping sickness. The second study explored the perceptions regarding HAT treatment and a third study focused on diagnostic practices of health professionals in low-resource settings facing a neurological syndrome. <p><p>The fifth study consists of a household survey, focus group discussions and individual interviews to explore community perception regarding health in general and health services. We compared the identified barriers to screening and treatment of HAT with awareness messages on sleeping sickness used by the HAT control program in DRC and we developed strategic recommendations. The evaluation of performance indicators for treatment showed that compliance with post-treatment follow-up is very poor: 25% for the first post-treatment follow-up examination at six months and less than 1% of the patients returns for the final examination at 24 months. In this study we also observed a treatment failure rate of respectively 30% and 22% for melarsoprol and pentamidine in Kasai-Oriental. However, these date are difficult to interpret because of an incomplete denominator. As only few patients return for follow-up visits, this proportion is probably biased towards those in treatment failure.<p> <p>The study on the perception of sleeping sickness shows that the disease is well known amongst the communities living in the endemic areas. However, several screening and treatment barriers were identified. The most important are: drug toxicity, financial barriers, the incompatibility between the itineraries of the mobile screening teams and the local communities’ activities, the prohibitions related to HAT treatment, lack of confidentiality and fear of lumbar punctures. The study on the perceptions regarding HAT treatment show that melarsoprol is perceived as a toxic drug and is nicknamed the ‘taboo drug’. On the other hand the NECT regime is perceived as the new drug that is less toxic and that has abolished all the taboos of melarsoprol with the important exception of sexual intercourse during the treatment period and the post-treatment follow-up period of six months. <p><p>The prohibitions have been established empirically by healthcare providers and communities to mitigate the side effects of the melarsoprol regimen. Violating these restrictions is believed to cause severe and sometimes mortal complications. Communities adhere strictly to these prohibitions and this constitutes a barrier for HAT screening and treatment.<p><p>The study focusing on diagnostic work-up of neurological syndromes in low-resource settings by health care providers has shown that in rural areas diagnosis is usually clinical. Barriers to confirmation of diagnosis are mainly related to the purchasing power of the patient. Other reported barriers are a lack of diagnostic tools and the communities’ perceptions associated with the care provider. Clinicians are perceived as diviners being able to directly identify the cause of the illness without using laboratory tests. The study regarding the perceptions on health and health services has shown that ability to work (82%) and ability to move (66%) are the most perceived signs of good health. 90% of the household responsibles positively perceive the health of their family. The opinions on the health services are divided. <p><p>The studies presented in this thesis have generated new insights on the socio-cultural dimension of HAT. The analysis of the awareness messages on HAT in DRC compared with the reported HAT screening and treatment barriers have shown that <p>although these sociocultural aspects are real bottlenecks in the dynamic of the fight against HAT, they are not targeted by the communication on HAT. <p><p>The prospects for communities at risk of HAT should be addressed through continuous dialogue between health professionals and communities adapted to local realities.<p><p>It will thus be possible to operationally improve the information strategies, education and communication, and more broadly, screening and treatment of HAT by integrating the socio-cultural dimension in the fighting policy against sleeping sickness.<p> / Doctorat en Sciences / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

This dissertation scrutinises two related claims that were particularly heightened in 2009 as the European Union (EU) was celebrating the first tenth anniversary of its European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP), the implementing arm of its Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). First, the two policy frameworks allegedly embodied sufficient added value for bettering EU intervention for human protection purposes in third places. Second, the ESDP supposedly enabled the EU to make a difference in its response to two bloody wars that broke out in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) successively in 1996 and 1998. This thesis argues that the alleged added value and difference have been overstated at best. While various studies have taken a similar position, they have important shortcomings for at least four reasons: lack of a comprehensive account of the CFSP motives, capacities, and response; exclusive focus on civil and military operations; focus on the post-Second Congo War period; and a lack of conceptual clarity regarding two key terms – ‘conflict resolution’ and ‘peacebuilding’. This thesis goes beyond generalisation and undertakes a forensic examination of the CFSP statements, decisions, and actions precisely through the lens of Conflict Resolution (CR): a specific subject area of study with its own normative, theoretical, and practical advantages and shortcomings; and with a more comprehensive and indeed seminal conceptualisation of peacebuilding. The outcome is a far more nuanced assessment of failure and success of the EU’s peace endeavours in this context than can be obtained through a broad-brush approach to analysis.

This study investigated the perceptions of election stakeholders with regard to the management of the 2011 electoral processes in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The involvement of civil society organizations, electoral experts and academia, including party agents as domestic observers and stakeholders in Congolese electoral processes, is crucial as they help electoral and participatory democracy to take root in the DRC. This study was underpinned by political trust, political support and neopatrimonial theories. Furthermore, a mixed methods research design was used in order to understand the perceptions of stakeholders on the management of the 2011 electoral processes in the DRC. The findings of the study showed that stakeholders‟ perceptions on the management of the 2011 electoral processes in the DRC were driven by both internal and external factors pertaining to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that have the potential to affect the electoral processes as well as the level of trust in the INEC and other institutions involved in the electoral processes. / Political Sciences / M.A. (Politics)