UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
4 Mar
2009
DRC Press Review
The recent developments of the situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, the joint efforts of the Transitional Government and the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for the DRC to ease the recent tensions in Bukavu and Ituri, and the nomination of provincial Governors announced by President Joseph Kabila are the topics of today's newspaper commentary.
"The situation in the provincial capital of South Kivu (Bukavu) remains confused, and marked in particular by demonstrations of anger on the part of the population and of insubordination within the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARD)," LE POTENTIEL notes. The daily emphasises that "the masterminds of the insecurity in Bukavu are in Kinshasa (according to the RCD) and Kigali (according to PPRD, Party for Reconstruction and Development, allied to President Joseph Kabila)."
The RCD blames Kinshasa for having decided to send an aircraft "to pick up Major Kasongo in Bukavu," and for its "attempt to sneak General Prosper Nabyolwa out of hideout in Bukavu".
The PPRD accuses Rwanda, "where Xavier Ciribanya Chirimwami, RCD member and former Governor of South Kivu (now suspended by the Transitional Government), has taken refuge. This is the country that Kinshasa was, a few weeks ago, suspecting of fomenting a new rebellion in eastern DRC with assistance from RCD officers Laurent Nkunda and Bora."
In connection with the events in Bukavu, the RCD has accused President Joseph Kabila's political family "of inciting hatred against MONUC in Kinshasa's medias." "The violent rhetoric of Congolese politicians and the hatred against MONUC" were also denounced Wednesday during the UN Mission's weekly news briefing. Quoting the head of the Mission's Public Information Division, LE POTENTIEL writes "MONUC cannot exceed the mandate it was given by the Security Council, and commit acts that fall within the sovereignty of the Congolese [Transitional] Government". This is an allusion to the troubles in Bukavu, about which some have accused MONUC of passivity. Dismissing that accusation as groundless, MONUC spokesman Hamadoun Toure announced the installation of the Kivu Brigade, "which will operate in the north and south of the region"
In a piece on Ituri, entitled "MONUC and the Government hand in hand", LE PHARE reports that "An important delegation comprised of about ten diplomats, led by the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for the DRC, and of three Deputy Ministers of the Transitional Government, were, on Tuesday and Wednesday, on mission in Bunia, Ituri district, in the northeast of Oriental Province."
"After the incidents early this week which had provoked gunfights between the Pakistani contingent (of MONUC) and disguised militiamen who had infiltrated some quarters of Bunia, observers believe that the delegation has given a clear and strong signal of the international community and the [Transitional] Government's determination to put an end the lingering crisis in Ituri", the paper comments.
L'AVENIR quotes a recent presidential declaration of the UN Security Council on the Democratic Republic of the Congo as "renewing the full support of its members to the efforts of the Government of national unity and transition, and their support to the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General and staff of the United Nations Mission in the DRC." The Council members underline, among other things, "the importance of nominating provincial governors, which must be done without delay and in a transparent and consultative manner"
"The provincial Governors are expected to be named within the next three or four days", announces LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES, quoting President Joseph Kabila in a Wednesday interview to Radio Okapi. "Coming under pressure from the Security Council, Joseph Kabila tries to appoint Kamikaze governors," LA REFERENCE PLUS comments.
In piece entitled "The time for repositioning has come", LE PALMARES warns that there is some bickering going on within what the paper calls the Kabila clan. According to the paper, a group of former Ministers and other close allies of the late President Laurent-Désiré Kabila are "pushing to get back in power". The paper mentions former Minister of Security and Public Order Mwenze Kongolo – as well as former Minister of Oil Victor Mpoyo, whom it describes as being "bitter about being abandoned and denied assistance by the Government when he was evacuated to Europe after falling sick."
"A merciless struggle rages among those close to the late Mzee (Laurent-Désiré Kabila - The wise one), raising fears of a possible coup", the paper warns.
The RCD blames Kinshasa for having decided to send an aircraft "to pick up Major Kasongo in Bukavu," and for its "attempt to sneak General Prosper Nabyolwa out of hideout in Bukavu".
The PPRD accuses Rwanda, "where Xavier Ciribanya Chirimwami, RCD member and former Governor of South Kivu (now suspended by the Transitional Government), has taken refuge. This is the country that Kinshasa was, a few weeks ago, suspecting of fomenting a new rebellion in eastern DRC with assistance from RCD officers Laurent Nkunda and Bora."
In connection with the events in Bukavu, the RCD has accused President Joseph Kabila's political family "of inciting hatred against MONUC in Kinshasa's medias." "The violent rhetoric of Congolese politicians and the hatred against MONUC" were also denounced Wednesday during the UN Mission's weekly news briefing. Quoting the head of the Mission's Public Information Division, LE POTENTIEL writes "MONUC cannot exceed the mandate it was given by the Security Council, and commit acts that fall within the sovereignty of the Congolese [Transitional] Government". This is an allusion to the troubles in Bukavu, about which some have accused MONUC of passivity. Dismissing that accusation as groundless, MONUC spokesman Hamadoun Toure announced the installation of the Kivu Brigade, "which will operate in the north and south of the region"
In a piece on Ituri, entitled "MONUC and the Government hand in hand", LE PHARE reports that "An important delegation comprised of about ten diplomats, led by the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for the DRC, and of three Deputy Ministers of the Transitional Government, were, on Tuesday and Wednesday, on mission in Bunia, Ituri district, in the northeast of Oriental Province."
"After the incidents early this week which had provoked gunfights between the Pakistani contingent (of MONUC) and disguised militiamen who had infiltrated some quarters of Bunia, observers believe that the delegation has given a clear and strong signal of the international community and the [Transitional] Government's determination to put an end the lingering crisis in Ituri", the paper comments.
L'AVENIR quotes a recent presidential declaration of the UN Security Council on the Democratic Republic of the Congo as "renewing the full support of its members to the efforts of the Government of national unity and transition, and their support to the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General and staff of the United Nations Mission in the DRC." The Council members underline, among other things, "the importance of nominating provincial governors, which must be done without delay and in a transparent and consultative manner"
"The provincial Governors are expected to be named within the next three or four days", announces LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES, quoting President Joseph Kabila in a Wednesday interview to Radio Okapi. "Coming under pressure from the Security Council, Joseph Kabila tries to appoint Kamikaze governors," LA REFERENCE PLUS comments.
In piece entitled "The time for repositioning has come", LE PALMARES warns that there is some bickering going on within what the paper calls the Kabila clan. According to the paper, a group of former Ministers and other close allies of the late President Laurent-Désiré Kabila are "pushing to get back in power". The paper mentions former Minister of Security and Public Order Mwenze Kongolo – as well as former Minister of Oil Victor Mpoyo, whom it describes as being "bitter about being abandoned and denied assistance by the Government when he was evacuated to Europe after falling sick."
"A merciless struggle rages among those close to the late Mzee (Laurent-Désiré Kabila - The wise one), raising fears of a possible coup", the paper warns.
