UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
4 Mar
2009
DRC Press Review
The situation in Bunia, in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the ongoing political crisis at the highest levels of the Congolese State constitute the main news topics commented on by newspapers appearing this Monday, 1st of March 2004 in Kinshasa.
Last Friday in Bunia, a public demonstration was staged against the Organisation of the United Nations Mission in the DRC (MONUC), recalls the daily paper L'AVENIR, quoting the catholic agency Misna. According to Misna's sources, "they were four wounded civilians (two men, one boy and one woman). They were hit by stray bullets when UN Pakistani troops fired into the air in order to disperse the crowd that poured into the street with the objective of demanding from MONUC the liberation of a tradesman arrested under circumstances yet to be clarified"
The security situation in Bunia featured among the issues discussed in Kinshasa, at the Council of Ministers meeting last Friday. An inter-ministerial delegation, composed of the Ministers of Justice, Interior, of Decentralisation, Security and Defence and of Military Veterans and Demobilisation, "is to travel to Bunia shortly in order to participate, along with the Un Secretary-General's Special Representative for the DRC, in the launching of the judicial institution in Ituri", says a statement by the Government, which L'AVENIR quotes.
The paper publishes the report of the Government's meeting, during which the Ministers and Deputy Ministers adopted, among other things, the draft decree regarding the creation and organisation of the preparatory Committee of the International Conference on Peace and Security in the Great Lakes region. The Council of Ministers also discussed the new salary scales for civil servants, "which shall be implemented on a step-by-step basis, with the first step expected to take place starting 1st of April 2004"
In his report on the 21st Council of Ministers meeting, LE POTENTIEL notes that the Government's spokesman thought it useful to specify that "the President of the Republic has also informed the Council of his decision to cut the State's expenditures so as to be able to allocate to social expenditures, in particular the salaries of civil servants and agents.." However, "considering the budget for 2004, one is not convinced that the [Transitional] Government will meet its commitments. In 30 days, it will not have the necessary funds to meet the provisions of the first stage of the new wages promised to the civil servants", LE POTENTIEL notes.
"Joseph Kabila must meet the challenge", underscores LE PHARE. Continuing in the same vein, the daily paper notes the troubling situation that prevails in Bukavu: "The Transition [is] stalled ", alluding to the discovery of an arms cache in the residence of former Governor Ciribanya (RCD), as well as in several locations in town.
"There is mainly the episode of skirmishes between the bodyguards of General Prosper Nabyolwa, Commander of the 10th military region, and those of Major Kasongo, Provincial Chief of military security of South Kivu. During the meeting of February 27th, 2004, the Council of Ministers promised to re-examine the question in light of information collected by investigators mandated by the Military High Commanded. And this exercise was to take place this March 2nd, 2004. Informed observers think that ill thought-out decisions could have the unfortunate effect of adding fuel to the flames, while the circumstances require measures conducive to calm", notes the paper.
"After some mishaps, Joseph Kabila finally thinks of regulating conduct within the Government", headlines LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES. According to this daily paper, " a code of good conduct is said to be in the making. The President of the Republic has referred to this document in order to restore order within the Government where the members of the National Executive do not collaborate well amongst themselves"
It is probably in the name of this code that President Joseph Kabila has decided to suspend the Minister of Transport and Communication, Joseph Olenghankoy, from his office for one month. "The Political Opposition component (to which Mr. Olenghankoy belongs) accepted this decision on Saturday February 28th", reports LE POTENTIEL.
The security situation in Bunia featured among the issues discussed in Kinshasa, at the Council of Ministers meeting last Friday. An inter-ministerial delegation, composed of the Ministers of Justice, Interior, of Decentralisation, Security and Defence and of Military Veterans and Demobilisation, "is to travel to Bunia shortly in order to participate, along with the Un Secretary-General's Special Representative for the DRC, in the launching of the judicial institution in Ituri", says a statement by the Government, which L'AVENIR quotes.
The paper publishes the report of the Government's meeting, during which the Ministers and Deputy Ministers adopted, among other things, the draft decree regarding the creation and organisation of the preparatory Committee of the International Conference on Peace and Security in the Great Lakes region. The Council of Ministers also discussed the new salary scales for civil servants, "which shall be implemented on a step-by-step basis, with the first step expected to take place starting 1st of April 2004"
In his report on the 21st Council of Ministers meeting, LE POTENTIEL notes that the Government's spokesman thought it useful to specify that "the President of the Republic has also informed the Council of his decision to cut the State's expenditures so as to be able to allocate to social expenditures, in particular the salaries of civil servants and agents.." However, "considering the budget for 2004, one is not convinced that the [Transitional] Government will meet its commitments. In 30 days, it will not have the necessary funds to meet the provisions of the first stage of the new wages promised to the civil servants", LE POTENTIEL notes.
"Joseph Kabila must meet the challenge", underscores LE PHARE. Continuing in the same vein, the daily paper notes the troubling situation that prevails in Bukavu: "The Transition [is] stalled ", alluding to the discovery of an arms cache in the residence of former Governor Ciribanya (RCD), as well as in several locations in town.
"There is mainly the episode of skirmishes between the bodyguards of General Prosper Nabyolwa, Commander of the 10th military region, and those of Major Kasongo, Provincial Chief of military security of South Kivu. During the meeting of February 27th, 2004, the Council of Ministers promised to re-examine the question in light of information collected by investigators mandated by the Military High Commanded. And this exercise was to take place this March 2nd, 2004. Informed observers think that ill thought-out decisions could have the unfortunate effect of adding fuel to the flames, while the circumstances require measures conducive to calm", notes the paper.
"After some mishaps, Joseph Kabila finally thinks of regulating conduct within the Government", headlines LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES. According to this daily paper, " a code of good conduct is said to be in the making. The President of the Republic has referred to this document in order to restore order within the Government where the members of the National Executive do not collaborate well amongst themselves"
It is probably in the name of this code that President Joseph Kabila has decided to suspend the Minister of Transport and Communication, Joseph Olenghankoy, from his office for one month. "The Political Opposition component (to which Mr. Olenghankoy belongs) accepted this decision on Saturday February 28th", reports LE POTENTIEL.
