UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
6 Mar
2009
DRC Press Review
Today's press offers the main conclusions from the second preparatory meeting for the International Conference on the Great Lakes that ended in Kinshasa last Saturday. The papers also comment on various subjects related the transition process in the DRC.
The second meeting of the regional committee for the International Conference of peace, security and development in the Great Lakes region ended in Kinshasa on Saturday, October 23, L'OBSERVATEUR reports. 'During the five-day meeting [from 19 to 23 October], the participants from Burundi, Rwanda, Angola, the Central African Republic, Zambia, Tanzania, Congo-Brazzaville, Sudan and the DRC, paved the way for making the actual holding of International Conference possible,' the paper comments. According to the paper, the main conclusions and recommendations included the following: reaffirming the arms embargo in the region and the principle of the intangibility and inviolability of the borders.
Stressing the importance of the preparatory meeting, LE POTENTIEL indicates that it enable the participants to 'build on the gains made in Bujumbura [where the first preparatory meeting took place],' and above all to draw up the draft Declaration of Dar-Es-Salaam [where the actual International Conference on peace, security and development in the Great Lakes will be held].' In Kinshasa, the delegates agreed to promote peace, democracy and good governance. 'They think that at the national level all must be done to promote peace, and that all the current political inadequacies are exclusively due to poor governance and the absence of a real appreciation for democracy,' writes the paper, hoping that by reaffirming the principle of the intangibility and inviolability of the borders, the participants opened the way to the adoption, in Dar-Es-Salaam, of the Non-Aggression Pact among the countries of the sub-region.
It is against this backdrop that Rwanda, the DRC and Uganda are about to sign a formal agreement on the Joint Verification Mechanism to be deployed at the their common borders. According to LE POTENTIEL, the three countries' Ministers of Foreign Affairs are expected to sign that agreement during their meeting in Kigali today. 'This important agreement responds to concerns within the international community, which, through the UN Security Council, had recommended that the RDC, Rwanda and Uganda undertake to carry out complete normalisation of their bilateral relations and cooperate actively to ensure security along their common borders,' notes the paper, pointing out that the deployment of such verification mechanism will 'contribute to regional peace that countries of the Great Lakes are longing for at the moment.'
In the same connection, LE POTENTIEL further notes that during his recent visit to the DRC, the head of UN peacekeeping operations, Jean-Marie Guéhenno, called for reform of security services in the country, 'for a good organisation of the State across the national territory.' To arrive at the results expected from the transition process in the DRC, Mr. Guéhenno pointed out that 'many things remained to be done, including making constitutional arrangements, addressing the organisation of power and making provision for whatever might happen after the elections.'
On the issue of the sharing of State-owned company responsibilities, LA REFERENCE PLUS notes that the Minister of Transport, Joseph Olenghankoy's party, Forces Novatrices pour l'Union et la Solidarité (FONUS), has given an ultimatum to President Joseph Kabila to 'bow to the will of the majority' by November 10. FONUS demands that the sharing of control of State-run companies be done ' without conditions and without hesitations, according to the wish of the majority of components and entities.'
The President's position on this issue is that 'State-owned companies are not to be politicised', LE PHARE recalls. According to the paper, that position has the support of 'external partners who do not like the idea of sharing government-controlled companies among the components and entities.' The paper points out that 'international contributions to the DRC's public expenses are conditional on how and what company leaders are going to be selected.' It says 'the State-run companies, the majority of which are in a dilapidated state, still stand a chance of being saved from sure death if managers worth the name, free from any political affiliation, are appointed within a reasonably short notice.'
The Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Karel De Gucht's recent remarks on the DRC continue to attract lots of comments. LE PALMARES notes the Belgian Prime Minister, Guy Verhofstadt, has added fuel to the fire by stating that 'De Gucht's remarks are sincere and aimed at mobilising the international community on doing more to ensure the success of the transition process in the DRC.' Speaking from Kigali, during his recent regional tour in central Africa, Karel De Gucht said that there was no State in the DRC. Calling those words 'unfriendly', Kinshasa has recalled its ambassador for consultations.
Over 300 troops of the DRC army's integrated brigade, bound for the northeastern town of Bunia, are blocked at Bafwasende, east of Kisangani, for two weeks now, according to LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES. 'These elements should be deployed in Bunia by now, but are said to be blocked at Bafwasende due to purely technical problems,' the paper says. Among the problems are a broken bridge 12 km from Bunia or/and a fuel shortage, adds the paper, citing witnesses.
L'AVENIR, for its part, mentions 'a distribution of arms to civilians in the territory of Massissi,' in North Kivu. These civilians are said to have clashed with soldiers, resulting in about 10 killed on both sides, says the paper without giving any details on where the arms were from.
Stressing the importance of the preparatory meeting, LE POTENTIEL indicates that it enable the participants to 'build on the gains made in Bujumbura [where the first preparatory meeting took place],' and above all to draw up the draft Declaration of Dar-Es-Salaam [where the actual International Conference on peace, security and development in the Great Lakes will be held].' In Kinshasa, the delegates agreed to promote peace, democracy and good governance. 'They think that at the national level all must be done to promote peace, and that all the current political inadequacies are exclusively due to poor governance and the absence of a real appreciation for democracy,' writes the paper, hoping that by reaffirming the principle of the intangibility and inviolability of the borders, the participants opened the way to the adoption, in Dar-Es-Salaam, of the Non-Aggression Pact among the countries of the sub-region.
It is against this backdrop that Rwanda, the DRC and Uganda are about to sign a formal agreement on the Joint Verification Mechanism to be deployed at the their common borders. According to LE POTENTIEL, the three countries' Ministers of Foreign Affairs are expected to sign that agreement during their meeting in Kigali today. 'This important agreement responds to concerns within the international community, which, through the UN Security Council, had recommended that the RDC, Rwanda and Uganda undertake to carry out complete normalisation of their bilateral relations and cooperate actively to ensure security along their common borders,' notes the paper, pointing out that the deployment of such verification mechanism will 'contribute to regional peace that countries of the Great Lakes are longing for at the moment.'
In the same connection, LE POTENTIEL further notes that during his recent visit to the DRC, the head of UN peacekeeping operations, Jean-Marie Guéhenno, called for reform of security services in the country, 'for a good organisation of the State across the national territory.' To arrive at the results expected from the transition process in the DRC, Mr. Guéhenno pointed out that 'many things remained to be done, including making constitutional arrangements, addressing the organisation of power and making provision for whatever might happen after the elections.'
On the issue of the sharing of State-owned company responsibilities, LA REFERENCE PLUS notes that the Minister of Transport, Joseph Olenghankoy's party, Forces Novatrices pour l'Union et la Solidarité (FONUS), has given an ultimatum to President Joseph Kabila to 'bow to the will of the majority' by November 10. FONUS demands that the sharing of control of State-run companies be done ' without conditions and without hesitations, according to the wish of the majority of components and entities.'
The President's position on this issue is that 'State-owned companies are not to be politicised', LE PHARE recalls. According to the paper, that position has the support of 'external partners who do not like the idea of sharing government-controlled companies among the components and entities.' The paper points out that 'international contributions to the DRC's public expenses are conditional on how and what company leaders are going to be selected.' It says 'the State-run companies, the majority of which are in a dilapidated state, still stand a chance of being saved from sure death if managers worth the name, free from any political affiliation, are appointed within a reasonably short notice.'
The Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Karel De Gucht's recent remarks on the DRC continue to attract lots of comments. LE PALMARES notes the Belgian Prime Minister, Guy Verhofstadt, has added fuel to the fire by stating that 'De Gucht's remarks are sincere and aimed at mobilising the international community on doing more to ensure the success of the transition process in the DRC.' Speaking from Kigali, during his recent regional tour in central Africa, Karel De Gucht said that there was no State in the DRC. Calling those words 'unfriendly', Kinshasa has recalled its ambassador for consultations.
Over 300 troops of the DRC army's integrated brigade, bound for the northeastern town of Bunia, are blocked at Bafwasende, east of Kisangani, for two weeks now, according to LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES. 'These elements should be deployed in Bunia by now, but are said to be blocked at Bafwasende due to purely technical problems,' the paper says. Among the problems are a broken bridge 12 km from Bunia or/and a fuel shortage, adds the paper, citing witnesses.
L'AVENIR, for its part, mentions 'a distribution of arms to civilians in the territory of Massissi,' in North Kivu. These civilians are said to have clashed with soldiers, resulting in about 10 killed on both sides, says the paper without giving any details on where the arms were from.
