UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
6 Mar
2009
DRC Press Review
*Original in French
Wednesday's press quotes more reactions on Rwandan military presence in eastern DRC. The papers widely comment on the opposition of rwandophone populations to government plans to send troop reinforcements to the region.
Wednesday's press quotes more reactions on Rwandan military presence in eastern DRC. The papers widely comment on the opposition of rwandophone populations to government plans to send troop reinforcements to the region.
The situation gets more complicated everyday since Rwanda's third invasion of Congolese territory, says LE POTENTIEL, which warns of 'a new rebellion unfolding' in North Kivu. At the moment when the population of Kisangani and Bukavu, and soon that of Kinshasa, descends into the streets to show their opposition to the Rwandan aggression, the rwandophone population of Goma has held a demonstration, protesting plans to send Congolese army (FADRC) troop reinforcements to North Kivu. Some among them were quoted as saying 'any aircraft carrying troops and trying to land would not welcomed,' reports the paper, noting that 'such an attitude is nothing but an act of rebellion.' It is unacceptable that while the country is in danger, a category of the Congolese population claiming to have roots in Rwanda should oppose efforts to defend the territorial integrity of the DRC, the paper says. To see leaders of this rwandophone community defying the President's constitutional prerogatives is something of 'serious' concern, the paper says. These protesters ' argue that the head of State made this [deployment] decision unilaterally, without consulting with the four Vice Presidents of the Republic,' the paper notes.
L'AVENIR denounces what it sees as 'a complicity between Rwandans and rwandophone Congolese.' Citing the secretary-general of People's Party for Reconstruction and Development (PPRD), Vital Kamerhe, the paper writes: ' Rwandophone Congolese soldiers based in North Kivu want to disarm the Interahamwe themselves.' This, according to Kamerhe, would suggest that those trying to disarm the Interahamwe are indeed Rwandans and that the confusion, which is deliberately created, actually benefits Rwanda.
LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES tells of 'Kigali's real designs on the Kivus,' as revealed by the PPRD secretary-general. Vital Kamerhe denounce Rwanda's intent 'to undermine the ongoing transition process in the DRC.' He describes Rwandan President Paul Kagame as being 'ill-intentioned towards the DRC, simply seeking to ridicule and humiliate the Congolese people, and to exploit Congolese natural resources.' According to LA REFERENCE PLUS, Vital Kamerhe also called for a general mobilisation of all Congolese populations to 'return the war to Rwanda.'
The High Council of Defence convened in Kinshasa yesterday, amid tensions in eastern Congo, reports LE PHARE, which says nothing about what the conclusions were. Quoting reliable sources, the paper says 'discussions were fraught with tensions' due to ' the hardening of positions in the political arena, with rwandophone populations of Goma opposing any new deployment of Congolese troops to the region and the PPRD denouncing internal complicity in Rwanda's new adventure' in Congo.
On the conclusions of the High Council of Defence meeting, L'OBSERVATEUR writes: 'the High Council members pronounced themselves in favour of an accelerated re-deployment of troops to the east of the DRC, to defend the territorial integrity and ensure the protection of the citizens and their goods.' Troops will be deployed in a way that reassures the populations and reinforces units of the 8th military region, reports the paper. 'The High Council members came down in favour of intensified operations to neutralise the ex-FAR/Interahamwe and other foreign armed groups still present on Congolese soil,' the paper says.
On the security situation in Ituri, the High Council of Defence called for intensified efforts to demobilise and/or integrate armed groups into the Congolese national army (FARDC), as well as sorting out of ranks for army officers, according to L'OBSERVATEUR.
It is in this context that LE PHARE announces that the UN Mission in the DRC confirmed the presence of Rwandan troops in eastern Congo. MONUC confirmation was based on direct testimonies collected in the Walikalé region, the paper says. LE PHARE also reports clashes north of Minova, between members of the Bahunde community and rwandophone Congolese. 'It is a conflict over land,' the paper explains.
L'AVENIR denounces what it sees as 'a complicity between Rwandans and rwandophone Congolese.' Citing the secretary-general of People's Party for Reconstruction and Development (PPRD), Vital Kamerhe, the paper writes: ' Rwandophone Congolese soldiers based in North Kivu want to disarm the Interahamwe themselves.' This, according to Kamerhe, would suggest that those trying to disarm the Interahamwe are indeed Rwandans and that the confusion, which is deliberately created, actually benefits Rwanda.
LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES tells of 'Kigali's real designs on the Kivus,' as revealed by the PPRD secretary-general. Vital Kamerhe denounce Rwanda's intent 'to undermine the ongoing transition process in the DRC.' He describes Rwandan President Paul Kagame as being 'ill-intentioned towards the DRC, simply seeking to ridicule and humiliate the Congolese people, and to exploit Congolese natural resources.' According to LA REFERENCE PLUS, Vital Kamerhe also called for a general mobilisation of all Congolese populations to 'return the war to Rwanda.'
The High Council of Defence convened in Kinshasa yesterday, amid tensions in eastern Congo, reports LE PHARE, which says nothing about what the conclusions were. Quoting reliable sources, the paper says 'discussions were fraught with tensions' due to ' the hardening of positions in the political arena, with rwandophone populations of Goma opposing any new deployment of Congolese troops to the region and the PPRD denouncing internal complicity in Rwanda's new adventure' in Congo.
On the conclusions of the High Council of Defence meeting, L'OBSERVATEUR writes: 'the High Council members pronounced themselves in favour of an accelerated re-deployment of troops to the east of the DRC, to defend the territorial integrity and ensure the protection of the citizens and their goods.' Troops will be deployed in a way that reassures the populations and reinforces units of the 8th military region, reports the paper. 'The High Council members came down in favour of intensified operations to neutralise the ex-FAR/Interahamwe and other foreign armed groups still present on Congolese soil,' the paper says.
On the security situation in Ituri, the High Council of Defence called for intensified efforts to demobilise and/or integrate armed groups into the Congolese national army (FARDC), as well as sorting out of ranks for army officers, according to L'OBSERVATEUR.
It is in this context that LE PHARE announces that the UN Mission in the DRC confirmed the presence of Rwandan troops in eastern Congo. MONUC confirmation was based on direct testimonies collected in the Walikalé region, the paper says. LE PHARE also reports clashes north of Minova, between members of the Bahunde community and rwandophone Congolese. 'It is a conflict over land,' the paper explains.
