UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
4 Mar
2009
DRC Press Review
The Senate hearing of the Minister of the Interior, Decentralisation and Security, Théophile Mbemba, is widely covered by Kinshasa's newspapers of Mach 19. The papers also broach the activities of the UN Mission in Ituri and Bukavu.
Invited to the Senate yesterday, Mr. Théophile Mbemba explained himself on the insecurity prevailing along the Matadi –Kinshasa national road, LE PHARE reports. According to the paper, the Interior Minister demonstrated how his services were now working to restore order in that part of the country, and they arrested some uncontrolled elements who hade been terrorising motorists. At the end of this exercise, several "questions [remained] unanswered," according to the paper.
On the same lines, LE POTENTIEL headlines "Théophile Mbemba did not convince the public." Throughout his intervention, "The Minister failed to demonstrate that the Government had a serious and coherent plan to tackle, in a firm manner, the insecurity problems that increasingly confront the country and which seems to overwhelm him."
The Minister indicated that the persisting insecurity was to be blamed on the lack of adequate financial resources at the disposal of the police forces. And that is why he called for more funds to enable him to equip and motivate the police, LA REFERENCE PLUS reports. Théophile Mbemba also counts on the establishment of the 1,008-strong integrated police unit, due to be ready by June 20, according to the paper.
Against this background, L'AVENIR announces that the first integrated brigade of the Congolese army has completed its training. "During a high-profile ceremony in front of the post office in Kisangani, the 890 elements of this first brigade trained by Belgian instructors, were placed at the disposal of the Congolese army," notes the paper, adding that this unit is to be deployed to Ituri in the Orientale Province.
In Ituri, MONUC troops have killed two or three militiamen, and destroyed three camps of the Union des Patriotes Congolais (UPC) led by Thomas Lubanga, reports LE PHARE, quoting the French news agency, AFP. According to AFP, a spokesman for MONUC said the operation was conducted yesterday in the Niamamba area on the bank of Lake Albert, where roughly 200 UPC militiamen were stationed. According to the spokesman, the peacekeepers returned fire, after the militiamen attacked them. Two militiamen were killed, and no casualties were reported on the side of the peacekeepers.
In Kinshasa, meanwhile, Thomas Lubanga held a news conference during which he lashed at MONUC, L'AVENIR reports. According to the paper, the UPC leader expressed his indignation at MONUC, which, according to him, does not carry out its mandate, but keeps blaming UPC for its own failure [to restore peace in Ituri]. Moreover, according to LE PHARE, "UPC regards the perpetuation of the Ituri interim administration and the exclusion of the armed groups from the transitional institutions as a tendentious manoeuvre, because the Security Council, in its resolution 1493 of July 28, 2003, formally recommended their integration into the transitional institutions." The paper adds that "Lubanga thinks that the MONUC-led DDR process is intended to support the Government in dealing with combatants, though they could voluntarily decide to participate in this process pending the setting up of a national DDR programme."
In Lubero today, "MONUC will destroy weapons seized in the East of the country," announces L'OBSERVATEUR, adding that General Samaila Iliya, MONUC Force Commander, will attend this ceremony. In acting in this manner, "MONUC is sending a strong signal to a region where many weapons and ammunitions circulate and where armed groups and militias abound," according to the paper.
In Brazzaville on Thursday, the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for the DRC, William Swing, met with President Denis Sassou Nguesso of the Republic of Congo, LE PHARE reports. According to the paper, the two personalities reviewed issues relating to the sub-region - among which the International Conference on the Great Lakes scheduled for this year.
On the same lines, LE POTENTIEL headlines "Théophile Mbemba did not convince the public." Throughout his intervention, "The Minister failed to demonstrate that the Government had a serious and coherent plan to tackle, in a firm manner, the insecurity problems that increasingly confront the country and which seems to overwhelm him."
The Minister indicated that the persisting insecurity was to be blamed on the lack of adequate financial resources at the disposal of the police forces. And that is why he called for more funds to enable him to equip and motivate the police, LA REFERENCE PLUS reports. Théophile Mbemba also counts on the establishment of the 1,008-strong integrated police unit, due to be ready by June 20, according to the paper.
Against this background, L'AVENIR announces that the first integrated brigade of the Congolese army has completed its training. "During a high-profile ceremony in front of the post office in Kisangani, the 890 elements of this first brigade trained by Belgian instructors, were placed at the disposal of the Congolese army," notes the paper, adding that this unit is to be deployed to Ituri in the Orientale Province.
In Ituri, MONUC troops have killed two or three militiamen, and destroyed three camps of the Union des Patriotes Congolais (UPC) led by Thomas Lubanga, reports LE PHARE, quoting the French news agency, AFP. According to AFP, a spokesman for MONUC said the operation was conducted yesterday in the Niamamba area on the bank of Lake Albert, where roughly 200 UPC militiamen were stationed. According to the spokesman, the peacekeepers returned fire, after the militiamen attacked them. Two militiamen were killed, and no casualties were reported on the side of the peacekeepers.
In Kinshasa, meanwhile, Thomas Lubanga held a news conference during which he lashed at MONUC, L'AVENIR reports. According to the paper, the UPC leader expressed his indignation at MONUC, which, according to him, does not carry out its mandate, but keeps blaming UPC for its own failure [to restore peace in Ituri]. Moreover, according to LE PHARE, "UPC regards the perpetuation of the Ituri interim administration and the exclusion of the armed groups from the transitional institutions as a tendentious manoeuvre, because the Security Council, in its resolution 1493 of July 28, 2003, formally recommended their integration into the transitional institutions." The paper adds that "Lubanga thinks that the MONUC-led DDR process is intended to support the Government in dealing with combatants, though they could voluntarily decide to participate in this process pending the setting up of a national DDR programme."
In Lubero today, "MONUC will destroy weapons seized in the East of the country," announces L'OBSERVATEUR, adding that General Samaila Iliya, MONUC Force Commander, will attend this ceremony. In acting in this manner, "MONUC is sending a strong signal to a region where many weapons and ammunitions circulate and where armed groups and militias abound," according to the paper.
In Brazzaville on Thursday, the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for the DRC, William Swing, met with President Denis Sassou Nguesso of the Republic of Congo, LE PHARE reports. According to the paper, the two personalities reviewed issues relating to the sub-region - among which the International Conference on the Great Lakes scheduled for this year.
