UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
4 Mar
2009
DRC Press Review
In the wake of the announced parliamentary debates on the 2004 State budget, along with the proposed salaries for the DRC President and his four Vice-Presidents, today's press carries reactions from some opposition leaders accusing those in power of delaying, in the name of sectarian interests, the transitional process that must lead to elections. The papers also announce the visit by Ugandan officers to Kinshasa in order to discuss the situation prevailing in the East of the DRC, in addition to the discovery of an arms cache in one of the teeming neighbourhoods of the Congolese capital, Kinshasa.
The political party Parti Lumumbiste Unifié (PALU) has joined the International Committee to Support the Transition (CIAT) in denouncing the delays in the on-going political process. LE PHARE carries PALU's statement of March 15 and signed by the party's leader, Antoine Gizenga, which reads "PALU stigmatises, as it did on October 31, 2003, the current Congolese leaders' unacceptable behaviour, which is characterised by laxness and inexplicable hesitations vis-à-vis the tasks they must carry out if the Transition is to successfully lead, within the prescribed timeframe, to free, democratic and transparent elections."
PALU paints a gloomy picture of the Transition since starting on June 30, 2003, as follows: "the multiplication and exasperation of conflicts among those at the highest levels of the Government, the suspected existence, among them, of a mafia-like agreement for what could be an unprecedented financial predation in the country's history; the total lack of significant progress toward the reunification of the armed forces, police forces and the provincial administration, and toward operations relating to elections."
On this last point, "PALU forcibly rejects the proposed idea of holding the elections based on a simple voter register, without a prior general census being held, for such an idea would certainly allow those intending to cheat to have some foreigners registered in the place of Congolese, or keep away large groups of people who do not support them politically."
Confidently PALU claims that "holding the census is possible with modest resources..." The party urges the CIAT "to take into account the legitimate aspirations of the Congolese people, and exercise a more active and just role in supporting the Transition."
According to LE PALMARES, "the holding of elections in the set timeframe is compromised." The paper also carries a statement, which was issued by opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi's party Union pour la Democratie et le Progrès Social (UDPS) following its meeting of March 13. As quoted, the statement denounces several things, among which "social unrest due to bad living conditions, as an outcome of poor governance in our country." With respect to the incidents caused by a group of women during the commemoration of International Women's Day in Kinshasa, UDPS, according to the paper, demands "exemplary sanctions."
LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES announces the arrival, in Kinshasa, of a delegation of high-ranking officers from the Ugandan army in order "to discuss the situation in eastern DRC." "The four-member delegation led by General Kayihura, former Commander of Ugandan forces in the DRC's Ituri district, is to meet with President Joseph Kabila. The Ugandan officers and their Congolese counterparts have decided to set up a joint commission to find solutions to the insecurity prevailing in Ituri," the paper says.
According to LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES, "Thomas Lubanga's movement [UPC: Union des Patriotes Congolais in Ituri] is willing to hold a dialogue with the [Transitional] Government." "In a statement dated March 15, 2004, UPC welcomes the governmental decision to get the armed groups involved in the search for peace in Ituri. This decision was made during the meeting of the Council of Ministers held on March 12. In addition, UPC firmly denounces MONUC's unjustifiable attacks on the villages of Central and Lopa on the morning of March 15, 2004, in which several civilians were killed and several houses burned," the paper writes.
"MONUC confirms it has seized unauthorised equipment in the camp of UPC," LE PHARE headlines. According to the paper, "MONUC says that the possession of this equipment is illegal, and that the militias are not authorised to hold such equipment, especially as they must get involved in the disarmament process."
In addition, LE PHARE reports that police forces in Kinshasa have discovered "an important amount of arms, rifle grenades and war ammunitions" in the outskirts of the Congolese capital.
PALU paints a gloomy picture of the Transition since starting on June 30, 2003, as follows: "the multiplication and exasperation of conflicts among those at the highest levels of the Government, the suspected existence, among them, of a mafia-like agreement for what could be an unprecedented financial predation in the country's history; the total lack of significant progress toward the reunification of the armed forces, police forces and the provincial administration, and toward operations relating to elections."
On this last point, "PALU forcibly rejects the proposed idea of holding the elections based on a simple voter register, without a prior general census being held, for such an idea would certainly allow those intending to cheat to have some foreigners registered in the place of Congolese, or keep away large groups of people who do not support them politically."
Confidently PALU claims that "holding the census is possible with modest resources..." The party urges the CIAT "to take into account the legitimate aspirations of the Congolese people, and exercise a more active and just role in supporting the Transition."
According to LE PALMARES, "the holding of elections in the set timeframe is compromised." The paper also carries a statement, which was issued by opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi's party Union pour la Democratie et le Progrès Social (UDPS) following its meeting of March 13. As quoted, the statement denounces several things, among which "social unrest due to bad living conditions, as an outcome of poor governance in our country." With respect to the incidents caused by a group of women during the commemoration of International Women's Day in Kinshasa, UDPS, according to the paper, demands "exemplary sanctions."
LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES announces the arrival, in Kinshasa, of a delegation of high-ranking officers from the Ugandan army in order "to discuss the situation in eastern DRC." "The four-member delegation led by General Kayihura, former Commander of Ugandan forces in the DRC's Ituri district, is to meet with President Joseph Kabila. The Ugandan officers and their Congolese counterparts have decided to set up a joint commission to find solutions to the insecurity prevailing in Ituri," the paper says.
According to LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES, "Thomas Lubanga's movement [UPC: Union des Patriotes Congolais in Ituri] is willing to hold a dialogue with the [Transitional] Government." "In a statement dated March 15, 2004, UPC welcomes the governmental decision to get the armed groups involved in the search for peace in Ituri. This decision was made during the meeting of the Council of Ministers held on March 12. In addition, UPC firmly denounces MONUC's unjustifiable attacks on the villages of Central and Lopa on the morning of March 15, 2004, in which several civilians were killed and several houses burned," the paper writes.
"MONUC confirms it has seized unauthorised equipment in the camp of UPC," LE PHARE headlines. According to the paper, "MONUC says that the possession of this equipment is illegal, and that the militias are not authorised to hold such equipment, especially as they must get involved in the disarmament process."
In addition, LE PHARE reports that police forces in Kinshasa have discovered "an important amount of arms, rifle grenades and war ammunitions" in the outskirts of the Congolese capital.
