As part of the first European-led Africa Partnership Station (APS) deployment, the Dutch government donated two river inspection boats to the Organization de la Mise en Valeur du Fleuve Senegal (OMVS) in St. Louis, Senegal, October 7, 2009.



The boats were transferred from the Netherlands to Senegal aboard the APS amphibious transport ship HNLMS Johan De Witt (L 801) and will be utilized by OMVS to rehabilitate the Senegal River.



"The boats will be used to survey the length of the Senegal river in order to ascertain if the waters are navigable for vessel traffic from the ocean inwards to Mali," said Dutch Lieutenant Commander Raymund Tromp, civil military coordination officer aboard Johan De Witt. "The greater access to the waterway will benefit the regional economic development."



The boats where presented to OMVS at a ceremony, attended by the Netherlands Ambassador to Senegal Gerben de Jong, the governor of St. Louis, and the president of OMVS, Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug.



"OMVS is a very important organization for Senegal, not only for economic development, but also as a political forum," said de Jong. "The Netherlands is renowned for the expertise in water management and therefore is a natural partner of the OMVS and the four countries."



In addition to the river inspection boats, two pallets of books were also donated by the late Gerti Hesseling, a college professor from Leiden, Netherlands who conducted extensive research on Senegal.



"For me, these three donations underline the value of APS and the international commitment to ensure proper use of the sea," said Dutch Captain Ben Bekkering, commanding officer Johan De Witt. "The survey boats will make the Senegalese river a stronger lifeline and the books will allow students to gain knowledge."



After leaving the waters of St. Louis, Johan De Witt will head for Dakar where the crew will provide training to 15 Senegalese Sailors on boat operations, maintenance and maritime law enforcement.



During this deployment, Johan De Witt will visit Senegal, Sierra Leone, Liberia Ghana, and Cape Verde.



Johan De Witt, a landing platform dock amphibious ship homeported in Den Helder, Netherlands, is the first non-U.S. ship to execute APS mission. APS, a U.S. Navy original initiative, is an international effort aimed at improving maritime safety and security for the continent of Africa through training and other collaborative activities with African partner countries.