The visit by the members of the UN Security Council to Kinshasa next Saturday announced by MONUC weekly news conference is the major news in today's local papers.
'A UN Security Council's Mission led by Ambassador Jean Marc de la Sablière, French permanent representative to the United Nations is due to arrive at Kinshasa this Saturday 5 November,' announces L'Observateur. The UN Security Council will seize this opportunity 'to reiterate its firm determination to see the transition culminate in the holding of free elections by 30 June 2006,' explains L'Avenir. In practical terms, he will ask 'the transition institutions and all the Congolese parties to ensure that the elections are free, transparent and peaceful and the electoral calendar drawn up by the Independent Electoral Commission strictly respected,' says La Tempête des Tropiques. In short, the purpose of the UN Security Council's visit to Kinshasa is to 'revive the transition,' says La Tempête des Tropiques. Indirectly, 'the Mission will underscore the importance of the resources committed by the United Nations to peacekeeping in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi and the need for a clear, unequivocal commitment on the part of national and regional actors,' further says Le Potentiel, echoing MONUC spokesperson, Kemal Saïki. In this respect, 'MONUC continues providing logistic support to facilitate a swift deployment of the registration kits in Equateur and Bandundu provinces in spite of the near absence of roads there,' underscores Le Potentiel.
The UN Security Council is arriving in DRC at a time when 'MONUC North Kivu brigade jointly with the 8th military region have launched the operation Virunga clearance to drive out the armed groups that found refuge in the national park of Virunga,' reports L'Avenir. The operation came 'after a sensitization phase aimed at inciting the Congolese and Rwandan Hutu combatants to join the demobilization and integration process intended for the Congolese and the repatriation process for foreigners,' further says Le Potentiel. The result of the operations: '15 Rwandan rebels captured by Indian peacekeepers, 120 Maï Maï have decided to lay down weapons and 5 camps were destroyed near the localities of Busesa, Kigali-Gali and Mizinga,' indicates Le Phare. Such a result can only encourage 'MONUC and the FARDC to proceed ahead and force the Hutu rebels to return to their country,' says Le Potentiel in an editorial headlined 'Proceed through the end.' In as much as 'they have no more excuse to satisfy themselves with uncompleted work. Stopping the operation now or acting in fits and starts would amount to giving respite to the Rwandan rebels to enable them to reorganise themselves,' argues Le Potentiel.
At the political level, 'the semi-presidential regime provided for by the draft Constitution carries the seed of clash of competence between the Head of State and the Prime minister for the 3rd potential Republic,' warns Le Phare, echoing the secretary-general of M-17. To avoid experiencing other 'unnecessary crisis such as the one the country faced in 1960 pitting President Kasa-Vubu against Prime Minister Lumumba (') M-17 intends to vote against the constitutional referendum on 18 December,' says Le Phare.
The UN Security Council is arriving in DRC at a time when 'MONUC North Kivu brigade jointly with the 8th military region have launched the operation Virunga clearance to drive out the armed groups that found refuge in the national park of Virunga,' reports L'Avenir. The operation came 'after a sensitization phase aimed at inciting the Congolese and Rwandan Hutu combatants to join the demobilization and integration process intended for the Congolese and the repatriation process for foreigners,' further says Le Potentiel. The result of the operations: '15 Rwandan rebels captured by Indian peacekeepers, 120 Maï Maï have decided to lay down weapons and 5 camps were destroyed near the localities of Busesa, Kigali-Gali and Mizinga,' indicates Le Phare. Such a result can only encourage 'MONUC and the FARDC to proceed ahead and force the Hutu rebels to return to their country,' says Le Potentiel in an editorial headlined 'Proceed through the end.' In as much as 'they have no more excuse to satisfy themselves with uncompleted work. Stopping the operation now or acting in fits and starts would amount to giving respite to the Rwandan rebels to enable them to reorganise themselves,' argues Le Potentiel.
At the political level, 'the semi-presidential regime provided for by the draft Constitution carries the seed of clash of competence between the Head of State and the Prime minister for the 3rd potential Republic,' warns Le Phare, echoing the secretary-general of M-17. To avoid experiencing other 'unnecessary crisis such as the one the country faced in 1960 pitting President Kasa-Vubu against Prime Minister Lumumba (') M-17 intends to vote against the constitutional referendum on 18 December,' says Le Phare.
