UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
9 Mar
2009
Press Review 17 March 2005
MONUC's determination to proceed with military operations against Ituri militia groups, adoption of the budget 2005 and President Joseph Kabila's tour to Asia are the main topics in today's local press.
Echoing MONUC's weekly press conference of Wednesday, 16 March, Le Phare says «Monuc insists» and writes: «Ituri armed groups have no alternative but join the peace process». The paper quotes General Cammmaert, MONUC acting force commander as declaring, «Monuc would continue pressuring armed groups and cut off their sources of weapons and ammunition». La Tempête des Tropiques, in turn, reports that Monuc has observed that « the weapons and ammunition supplied to militia groups were coming from Uganda through lake Albert» but «we do not know who is behind this weapons traffic», quoting General Patrick Cammmaert. On its front page, the paper recalls «Swing set 1st April 2005 as a deadline for the Ituri militia groups to lay down weapons».
« 806,169,426,000 Congolese Francs is the budget decided», says l'Observateur, alluding to the adoption of the budgetary law for the year 2005. « The budget 2005 is already asphyxiated before its implementation» due to loss of the depreciation of the Congolese francs, la Tempête des Tropiques says, explaining that « the Congolese franc has terribly lost in value on the USD, says 500 Congolese francs are traded against 1 USD». The paper therefore says, «MPs in charge of economic and financial commission and Government representatives from the ministry of budget, finance and planning should normally take this depreciation into consideration to readjust the budget in light of the current realities». «If they do not do it, the budget may be unrealistic». L'Avenir, for its part, considers that « the budget 2005 is mainly devoted to the organisation of the elections» indicating that « everybody's attention is glued on the organisation of the elections within the constitutional time frame. The budget 2005, as wished, does reflect the DRC determination to go to the elections». With respect to the elections, La Référence Plus believes that « the Troïka has shared the DRC among themselves», alluding to the «bitter and stormy discussions the USA, France and Belgium had before reaching a memorandum of agreement on the DRC». According to this paper, the president's office will be given to the candidate to be backed by France, the Premiership/Prime Minister's post to the Belgium-backed candidate and Defence, Security and Finances to the USA-backed candidate.
« President Kabila's trip to Asia sparked off all kind of debates», le Potentiel says, highlighting « the controversy sparked off by the huge expenses caused by Joseph Kabila's trip». The paper echoes the budget Minister, François Mwamba's interview with Congolese National Radio and Television channel'. « The Head of State disbursed from his own pockets the travelling expenses for himself and about sixty members of his delegation, other members of the delegation accompanying him did the same», le Potentiel reports. Concerning the tour, le Palmarès notes: « Joseph Kabila in Seoul since yesterday: ambitions revised downwards». The paper says, « after their failure in Tokyo, they will now count on Beijing ». A headline that clashes with l'Avenir's: « Japan and the DRC to strike a broad development project», adding that « Tokyo has written off Congolese public debt».
« 806,169,426,000 Congolese Francs is the budget decided», says l'Observateur, alluding to the adoption of the budgetary law for the year 2005. « The budget 2005 is already asphyxiated before its implementation» due to loss of the depreciation of the Congolese francs, la Tempête des Tropiques says, explaining that « the Congolese franc has terribly lost in value on the USD, says 500 Congolese francs are traded against 1 USD». The paper therefore says, «MPs in charge of economic and financial commission and Government representatives from the ministry of budget, finance and planning should normally take this depreciation into consideration to readjust the budget in light of the current realities». «If they do not do it, the budget may be unrealistic». L'Avenir, for its part, considers that « the budget 2005 is mainly devoted to the organisation of the elections» indicating that « everybody's attention is glued on the organisation of the elections within the constitutional time frame. The budget 2005, as wished, does reflect the DRC determination to go to the elections». With respect to the elections, La Référence Plus believes that « the Troïka has shared the DRC among themselves», alluding to the «bitter and stormy discussions the USA, France and Belgium had before reaching a memorandum of agreement on the DRC». According to this paper, the president's office will be given to the candidate to be backed by France, the Premiership/Prime Minister's post to the Belgium-backed candidate and Defence, Security and Finances to the USA-backed candidate.
« President Kabila's trip to Asia sparked off all kind of debates», le Potentiel says, highlighting « the controversy sparked off by the huge expenses caused by Joseph Kabila's trip». The paper echoes the budget Minister, François Mwamba's interview with Congolese National Radio and Television channel'. « The Head of State disbursed from his own pockets the travelling expenses for himself and about sixty members of his delegation, other members of the delegation accompanying him did the same», le Potentiel reports. Concerning the tour, le Palmarès notes: « Joseph Kabila in Seoul since yesterday: ambitions revised downwards». The paper says, « after their failure in Tokyo, they will now count on Beijing ». A headline that clashes with l'Avenir's: « Japan and the DRC to strike a broad development project», adding that « Tokyo has written off Congolese public debt».
