UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
6 Mar
2009
DRC Press Review
*Original in French
The main topics of today's newspaper commentary include the adoption by the Government of the new 'roadmap' for the transition and the demonstrations in South Kivu directed at the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC).
The main topics of today's newspaper commentary include the adoption by the Government of the new 'roadmap' for the transition and the demonstrations in South Kivu directed at the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC).
Meeting Friday October 8, 2004, under the chairmanship of Vice President Azarias Ruberwa, the Council of Ministers approved the transition's new roadmap, the substitute for two previous initiatives of President Joseph Kabila, LE POTENTIEL announces. According to the paper, the new plan defines, in a consensual manner, the actions ' and their timing - to undertaken by each of the institutions of the Republic during the remaining eight months of the transition. The aim is to 'give concrete expression to the obligation to successfully carrying out the transition, the objective of which is to organise elections,' says the paper, quoting the Minister of Information and Press and spokesman for the Government, Mr. Henri Mova Sakanyi. One of the strong points of the new roadmap, according to LE POTENTIEL, is that it confirms that elections will be held within the timeline provided by the Global and All Inclusive agreement, that is, in 2005. Specifically, the Government recommended to the Independent Electoral Commission organising local elections in April, legislative elections in June and presidential elections in July, according to the paper. With respect to legislative work, the paper notes the Parliament is required to pass about 15 essential laws as well as the Constitution, all by December 2004. Moreover, the roadmap also identifies the actions to be performed by the Government, including accelerating the army integration process and the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reinsertion (DDR) process beginning this month. Specifically, 'the integration, retraining and deployment of troops should be carried out during the period running from December 2004 to March 2005,' the paper notes.
According to L'AVENIR, by adopting the new roadmap, 'the Government binds itself to observe it', because 'the timing of the execution of some tasks means red light to Government members known for dragging things out.' The adoption of this roadmap was not a matter of chance, says the paper that sees a cause and effect relationship between this adoption and the meeting of the International Committee To Support the Transition with the President and his four Vice President (the presidential space) two days before.
In another development, LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES mentions a 'troubling agitation in Uvira', where 1,137 Congolese refugees from Gatumba (Burundi) remain stranded within the neutral zone of the DRC-Burundi border. 'They have not been able to return to their residences inside the country,' says the paper, adding that 'On Sunday, young protesters prevented the repatriation operation by throwing stones at the convoys of refugees.' According to LA REFERENCE PLUS, during these demonstrations, 'a 15-year-old child was reported killed by MONUC soldiers who were trying to defend themselves after being surrounded by demonstrators in Uvira.' But the blue helmets have denied this accusation, saying they fired into the air, explains the paper, wondering if MONUC, which is frequently treated as a scapegoat, can be substituted. 'Whether MONUC is liked or not, it must be recognized that the DRC cannot today go without the UN Mission,' claims the paper, arguing that MONUC 'is so much an integral part of the Congolese scenery that they have to do with it for lack of better..'
'What if MONUC pulls out of Kivu!' titles LE PHARE, which bids Congolese to reason on 'what fate might befall civilian populations in South Kivu, Maniema, North Kivu, Province Orientale and Katanga should UN troops decide in fact to pull out.' The hostile demonstrations directed at MONUC in Uvira were manipulated by some leaders of Civil Society and the Catholic church, claims the paper, explaining people had tried to force their way into one MONUC base, these people were 'worked up against MONUC by hostile messages spread by Civil Society actors as well as local religious leaders, especially those in the Catholic church.'
Looking at MONUC's actions in Maniema province, L'AVENIR notes that since the beginning of this year, the UN mission has already provided over 60,000 US dollars to help rehabilitate 6 schools in the province, as part of the mission's quick impact projects programme.
Devoting its front page to the current preparations for the International Conference on peace, security and development the Great Lakes region, L'OBSERVATEUR notes two diverging opinions about participation in the forum. 'There are, on one hand, those in support of the view that participation should be limited to countries that were members of the former Economic Community of the Great Lakes (DRC, Rwanda, Burundi) plus Uganda, and, on the other hand, those wishing that participation to be extended to all countries of central and southern Africa, especially those that have been implicated in the war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,' explains the paper, noting that the DRC is backing the idea of including countries of central Africa and allied countries in the Congolese conflict.
According to L'AVENIR, by adopting the new roadmap, 'the Government binds itself to observe it', because 'the timing of the execution of some tasks means red light to Government members known for dragging things out.' The adoption of this roadmap was not a matter of chance, says the paper that sees a cause and effect relationship between this adoption and the meeting of the International Committee To Support the Transition with the President and his four Vice President (the presidential space) two days before.
In another development, LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES mentions a 'troubling agitation in Uvira', where 1,137 Congolese refugees from Gatumba (Burundi) remain stranded within the neutral zone of the DRC-Burundi border. 'They have not been able to return to their residences inside the country,' says the paper, adding that 'On Sunday, young protesters prevented the repatriation operation by throwing stones at the convoys of refugees.' According to LA REFERENCE PLUS, during these demonstrations, 'a 15-year-old child was reported killed by MONUC soldiers who were trying to defend themselves after being surrounded by demonstrators in Uvira.' But the blue helmets have denied this accusation, saying they fired into the air, explains the paper, wondering if MONUC, which is frequently treated as a scapegoat, can be substituted. 'Whether MONUC is liked or not, it must be recognized that the DRC cannot today go without the UN Mission,' claims the paper, arguing that MONUC 'is so much an integral part of the Congolese scenery that they have to do with it for lack of better..'
'What if MONUC pulls out of Kivu!' titles LE PHARE, which bids Congolese to reason on 'what fate might befall civilian populations in South Kivu, Maniema, North Kivu, Province Orientale and Katanga should UN troops decide in fact to pull out.' The hostile demonstrations directed at MONUC in Uvira were manipulated by some leaders of Civil Society and the Catholic church, claims the paper, explaining people had tried to force their way into one MONUC base, these people were 'worked up against MONUC by hostile messages spread by Civil Society actors as well as local religious leaders, especially those in the Catholic church.'
Looking at MONUC's actions in Maniema province, L'AVENIR notes that since the beginning of this year, the UN mission has already provided over 60,000 US dollars to help rehabilitate 6 schools in the province, as part of the mission's quick impact projects programme.
Devoting its front page to the current preparations for the International Conference on peace, security and development the Great Lakes region, L'OBSERVATEUR notes two diverging opinions about participation in the forum. 'There are, on one hand, those in support of the view that participation should be limited to countries that were members of the former Economic Community of the Great Lakes (DRC, Rwanda, Burundi) plus Uganda, and, on the other hand, those wishing that participation to be extended to all countries of central and southern Africa, especially those that have been implicated in the war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,' explains the paper, noting that the DRC is backing the idea of including countries of central Africa and allied countries in the Congolese conflict.
