UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
6 Mar
2009
Press Review
Today's local papers in Kinshasa mainly focus on RCD's decision to lift the suspension of its participation in the transition.
RCD has joined back the institutions, announces LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES, indicating that the Vice-president for Political, Defence and Security, Azarias Ruberwa has explained the real motive for the lifting of the suspension of RCD's participation in the transitional institutions. The paper quotes Mr. Ruberwa as declaring that ''even though the claims are not met at hundred percent, there are nevertheless guarantees that they will''. The press release issued by the RCD's founders' college indicates that ''several pledges were made for removing the obstacles faced by the transition, notably in the areas of the functioning of the institutions, security and the well-being of the population after numerous negotiations with the different Congolese partners and stakeholders to the transition''. Mr. Ruberwa also applauded RCD's action, ''in alerting the national and international communities that the transition was getting out of control'', the paper further says.
For LE PHARE, RCD's return to the transition's institutions is undoubtedly a victory for South African diplomacy. The paper considers that '' RCD lifted the suspension of its participation in the transitional institutions thanks to President Thabo Mbeki's good offices''. The paper ''congratulates President Mbeki for using his personal influence to bring together the brothers who have been enemies and facilitate the holding of free, transparent and democratic elections within the allotted time''. LE PHARE further underscores that the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for the DRC, William Swing, ''hailed President Thabo Mbeki's visit, and commended his efforts for the safeguard of the DRC Transition''.
L'OBSERVATEUR is not surprised by RCD's decision to join back the Transition, indicating that it could not happen otherwise, since ''Presidents Kabila and Thabo Mbeki adopted a firm position towards Vice-President Ruberwa's ranting and the national and international communities warned the RCD against going against the tide of the Transition''. The paper also notes that ''for having taken alone the decision to withdraw from the transition's process that raised general outcry, Azarias Ruberwa is now weakened by the crisis''.
Intra-institutional debate should begin! Now that RCD has joined back the transition, says LE POTENTIEL. This implies that as of now ''all the components have the right to give an objective assessment of the transition at every institution and frame a new harmonised chronogram''. For this paper, this is an appropriate occasion for ''the assessment required by the RCD, and expected by all, the form of which was criticised''.
According to LA REFERENCE PLUS, ''RCD begins to reap the fruits of its political pressures'', given that the first meeting of the National Security Council is scheduled for this week. The paper reports that a new joint roadmap will be published in the next few days. ''Other urgent actions will be taken in the area of the formation of the army, security services, hatred-inciting medias''', the paper indicates.
Before leaving the DRC, at the end of his working visit, South African President would have given a lesson of democracy '' to the transition's underminers'', reports L'AVENIR, explaining that the South African President ''did not mince his words in declaring that no one is more important than the others nor less important''.
In another development, LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES announces the launching of the disarmament and community reintegration programme of the Ituri armed groups on 1st September. Echoing Ms Patricia Tome, Head of the MONUC Public Information Division, the paper adds that this operation concerns about 15,000 combatants, including 6,000 children associated to armed groups.
Monuc further announced the resumption, on 26 August 2004, of the trial on the Ankoro massacre in North Katanga perpetrated between 8 and 18 November 2002. ''Interrupted 16 months ago, the trial has been reopened by the Katanga Military court in Lubumbashi due to try 22 people, all of whom the FAC and Maï-Maï soldiers accused of Human rights abuse and crime against humanity'', reports LE POTENTIEL.
LE PALMARES, for its part, raised a coup attempt blamed on the Maï-Maï, on Tuesday 24 August. The paper reveals that investigations continued secretly and last week, the military intelligence services arrested over 25 suspects ''without making a song and dance about it''.
For LE PHARE, RCD's return to the transition's institutions is undoubtedly a victory for South African diplomacy. The paper considers that '' RCD lifted the suspension of its participation in the transitional institutions thanks to President Thabo Mbeki's good offices''. The paper ''congratulates President Mbeki for using his personal influence to bring together the brothers who have been enemies and facilitate the holding of free, transparent and democratic elections within the allotted time''. LE PHARE further underscores that the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for the DRC, William Swing, ''hailed President Thabo Mbeki's visit, and commended his efforts for the safeguard of the DRC Transition''.
L'OBSERVATEUR is not surprised by RCD's decision to join back the Transition, indicating that it could not happen otherwise, since ''Presidents Kabila and Thabo Mbeki adopted a firm position towards Vice-President Ruberwa's ranting and the national and international communities warned the RCD against going against the tide of the Transition''. The paper also notes that ''for having taken alone the decision to withdraw from the transition's process that raised general outcry, Azarias Ruberwa is now weakened by the crisis''.
Intra-institutional debate should begin! Now that RCD has joined back the transition, says LE POTENTIEL. This implies that as of now ''all the components have the right to give an objective assessment of the transition at every institution and frame a new harmonised chronogram''. For this paper, this is an appropriate occasion for ''the assessment required by the RCD, and expected by all, the form of which was criticised''.
According to LA REFERENCE PLUS, ''RCD begins to reap the fruits of its political pressures'', given that the first meeting of the National Security Council is scheduled for this week. The paper reports that a new joint roadmap will be published in the next few days. ''Other urgent actions will be taken in the area of the formation of the army, security services, hatred-inciting medias''', the paper indicates.
Before leaving the DRC, at the end of his working visit, South African President would have given a lesson of democracy '' to the transition's underminers'', reports L'AVENIR, explaining that the South African President ''did not mince his words in declaring that no one is more important than the others nor less important''.
In another development, LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES announces the launching of the disarmament and community reintegration programme of the Ituri armed groups on 1st September. Echoing Ms Patricia Tome, Head of the MONUC Public Information Division, the paper adds that this operation concerns about 15,000 combatants, including 6,000 children associated to armed groups.
Monuc further announced the resumption, on 26 August 2004, of the trial on the Ankoro massacre in North Katanga perpetrated between 8 and 18 November 2002. ''Interrupted 16 months ago, the trial has been reopened by the Katanga Military court in Lubumbashi due to try 22 people, all of whom the FAC and Maï-Maï soldiers accused of Human rights abuse and crime against humanity'', reports LE POTENTIEL.
LE PALMARES, for its part, raised a coup attempt blamed on the Maï-Maï, on Tuesday 24 August. The paper reveals that investigations continued secretly and last week, the military intelligence services arrested over 25 suspects ''without making a song and dance about it''.
