UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
6 Mar
2009
DRC Press Review
*Original in French
Today's local press devote their comments mainly to the International Committee To Support the Transition (ICST)'s meeting Wednesday with President Joseph Kabila and his Vice-Presidents. The papers also broach incidents opposing MONUC and the population in Bukavu yesterday.
Today's local press devote their comments mainly to the International Committee To Support the Transition (ICST)'s meeting Wednesday with President Joseph Kabila and his Vice-Presidents. The papers also broach incidents opposing MONUC and the population in Bukavu yesterday.
On Wednesday October 6, President Joseph Kabila, accompanied by his Vice-Presidents and Congolese experts, met with ambassadors of country members of the International Committee to Support the Transition (ICST) to consider the on-going transition process, L'OBSERVATEUR announces. The two-hour meeting showed that both sides remained 'committed to the successful completion of the transition process that is to culminate in the organisation of elections. However, concerns were raised over the delays recorded in performing some political tasks.' These tasks include realising the integration of the army, the drafting of the future constitution as well as legislation pertaining to the electoral process and the establishment of the voter register. 'The two parties committed to eliminating those delays to bring the process to fruition' They determined that integrating the army and drafting the constitution were among the top priorities..'
In a story titled 'Gentlemen, you are late, so get to work,' LE PHARE outlines some of the recommendations made by the ICST. These include: (1) removing from the draft nationality law the clause that forbids double nationality, because it 'would put the country at a disadvantage, given the expertise and resources that could be contributed by our compatriots with more than one nationality'; (2) putting in place a follow-up committee composed of representatives of the ICST and each institution and tasked with monitoring the implementation of the new updated roadmap and as well as reviewing the situation once a month. 'Let's wish the committee to be fit, given the delay already accumulated in the timetable,' the paper concludes.
Titling 'Revelations on the meeting between the members of the presidential space and the ICST', LE PALMARES notes the International Committee To Support of the Transition said that disbursements of funds for elections were subject to the fulfilment of the prerequisites here above referred to, 'at which time Joseph Kabila, hitherto reserved, firmly reminded his hosts that, in Sun city, the international community had not conditioned its financial support to the elections on such prerequisites,' the paper reports.
While the presidential space-ICST meeting was taking place in Kinshasa, there were reports of mounting tension in South Kivu province. According to LA REFERENCE PLUS, 'Bukavu narrowly escaped a catastrophe yesterday.' Similarly, LE PHARE announces 'high tension in the town of Bukavu'. As the paper reports, angry demonstrators, armed with stones and other sharp tools, headed toward MONUC's headquarters in Bukavu, protesting against the presence of two civilians believed to be Rwandan Tutsis hiding in a MONUC tank. The demonstrators, 'looking ready to break everything', wanted the alleged Rwandans 'handed over and punished', says the paper. Another group went to the headquarters of the Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD), 'where they started smashing everything. Two party members were wounded, two of them receiving serious head wounds.' Yet upon verification, the paper goes on saying, the story turned out be a false rumour, and instead of the alleged 'Rwandan Tutsis, there was in fact an interpreter working for MONUC personnel, and he happened to be with Tutsi-like features,' LE PHARE. Quoting sources close to human rights NGOs operating in South Kivu, LE PHARE adds that 'local clerics and other civil society actors were apparently responsible for spreading the confusing rumour ' in Bukavu.
L'AVENIR explains that people in Bukavu grew even more suspicious when that armoured vehicle, having broken down, a MONUC soldier got off of it without any problem, but two individuals remained inside the vehicule until much later, when a second MONUC vehicle came to rescue. 'The two suspected Rwandan infiltrators in civilian clothes got off the vehicle with their faces remaining hidden under UN helmets, before they entered the second vehicle,' the paper reports. 'Overexcited, the population would not let two suspects go,' the paper adds. There were some shots fired into the air by MONUC soldiers in an 'unsuccessful' attempt to disperse the crowd. According to L'AVENIR, 'a riot [was] narrowly averted in Bukavu, thanks to [General] Mbudja Mabe' who arrived at the scene in early afternoon to calm the population. According to LE PALMARES, the whole incident left 8 people wounded, one of them seriously, and 4 MONUC vehicles damaged.
'Joseph Kabila is expected to speak to the national press' today, LE PALMARES announces. 'Congolese are expecting a strong message' to come out of this press conference, LE PHARE notes. 'The head of State has no choice but make his own evaluation of the transition process, following the turmoil experienced in the past few weeks, during which period Congolese lost their bearings,' writes the paper, adding that 'the expression may not please, but 8 months to the end of it (transition), the Congolese would like to know if their country is not running straight into a wall, if the head of State still believes in holding the elections within the time frame stipulated in the Global and All Inclusive Agreement, and, finally, what progress has been made on the transition's timetable.'
'Transition: The Heads of religious confessions propose 15 keys to success,' LE POTENTIEL headlines. According to the paper, these keys include realising the reunification of the army, the police and intelligence services, accelerating DDR operations and the DDRRR programme for foreign combatants, respecting legal texts and the roadmap, etc. "In a memo, the clerics invite the 4 Vice-Presidents of the Republic to show more political will and promote reconciliation (..) They also threaten to oppose anyone any one acceding to power by force.' The paper writes.
LE POTENTIEL notes 'The signature of an agreement on judicial cooperation between the DRC and the ICC', by which the International Criminal Court would be allowed to begin its investigation into the various crimes and violations of human rights committed during the war in the DRC since July 2002. In view of this development, FORUM DES AS concludes that 'Those responsible for crimes in the DRC are soon to be brought to court.'
In a story titled 'Gentlemen, you are late, so get to work,' LE PHARE outlines some of the recommendations made by the ICST. These include: (1) removing from the draft nationality law the clause that forbids double nationality, because it 'would put the country at a disadvantage, given the expertise and resources that could be contributed by our compatriots with more than one nationality'; (2) putting in place a follow-up committee composed of representatives of the ICST and each institution and tasked with monitoring the implementation of the new updated roadmap and as well as reviewing the situation once a month. 'Let's wish the committee to be fit, given the delay already accumulated in the timetable,' the paper concludes.
Titling 'Revelations on the meeting between the members of the presidential space and the ICST', LE PALMARES notes the International Committee To Support of the Transition said that disbursements of funds for elections were subject to the fulfilment of the prerequisites here above referred to, 'at which time Joseph Kabila, hitherto reserved, firmly reminded his hosts that, in Sun city, the international community had not conditioned its financial support to the elections on such prerequisites,' the paper reports.
While the presidential space-ICST meeting was taking place in Kinshasa, there were reports of mounting tension in South Kivu province. According to LA REFERENCE PLUS, 'Bukavu narrowly escaped a catastrophe yesterday.' Similarly, LE PHARE announces 'high tension in the town of Bukavu'. As the paper reports, angry demonstrators, armed with stones and other sharp tools, headed toward MONUC's headquarters in Bukavu, protesting against the presence of two civilians believed to be Rwandan Tutsis hiding in a MONUC tank. The demonstrators, 'looking ready to break everything', wanted the alleged Rwandans 'handed over and punished', says the paper. Another group went to the headquarters of the Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD), 'where they started smashing everything. Two party members were wounded, two of them receiving serious head wounds.' Yet upon verification, the paper goes on saying, the story turned out be a false rumour, and instead of the alleged 'Rwandan Tutsis, there was in fact an interpreter working for MONUC personnel, and he happened to be with Tutsi-like features,' LE PHARE. Quoting sources close to human rights NGOs operating in South Kivu, LE PHARE adds that 'local clerics and other civil society actors were apparently responsible for spreading the confusing rumour ' in Bukavu.
L'AVENIR explains that people in Bukavu grew even more suspicious when that armoured vehicle, having broken down, a MONUC soldier got off of it without any problem, but two individuals remained inside the vehicule until much later, when a second MONUC vehicle came to rescue. 'The two suspected Rwandan infiltrators in civilian clothes got off the vehicle with their faces remaining hidden under UN helmets, before they entered the second vehicle,' the paper reports. 'Overexcited, the population would not let two suspects go,' the paper adds. There were some shots fired into the air by MONUC soldiers in an 'unsuccessful' attempt to disperse the crowd. According to L'AVENIR, 'a riot [was] narrowly averted in Bukavu, thanks to [General] Mbudja Mabe' who arrived at the scene in early afternoon to calm the population. According to LE PALMARES, the whole incident left 8 people wounded, one of them seriously, and 4 MONUC vehicles damaged.
'Joseph Kabila is expected to speak to the national press' today, LE PALMARES announces. 'Congolese are expecting a strong message' to come out of this press conference, LE PHARE notes. 'The head of State has no choice but make his own evaluation of the transition process, following the turmoil experienced in the past few weeks, during which period Congolese lost their bearings,' writes the paper, adding that 'the expression may not please, but 8 months to the end of it (transition), the Congolese would like to know if their country is not running straight into a wall, if the head of State still believes in holding the elections within the time frame stipulated in the Global and All Inclusive Agreement, and, finally, what progress has been made on the transition's timetable.'
'Transition: The Heads of religious confessions propose 15 keys to success,' LE POTENTIEL headlines. According to the paper, these keys include realising the reunification of the army, the police and intelligence services, accelerating DDR operations and the DDRRR programme for foreign combatants, respecting legal texts and the roadmap, etc. "In a memo, the clerics invite the 4 Vice-Presidents of the Republic to show more political will and promote reconciliation (..) They also threaten to oppose anyone any one acceding to power by force.' The paper writes.
LE POTENTIEL notes 'The signature of an agreement on judicial cooperation between the DRC and the ICC', by which the International Criminal Court would be allowed to begin its investigation into the various crimes and violations of human rights committed during the war in the DRC since July 2002. In view of this development, FORUM DES AS concludes that 'Those responsible for crimes in the DRC are soon to be brought to court.'
