UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
5 Mar
2009
Press Review
The visit by the delegation of the International Criminal Court (ICC), the extension of arms embargo on eastern DRC by the Security Council, the double nationality-relating issue discussed by the Parliament and «Diomi Ndongala's Affairs», are the lead stories in today's local media.
« An ICC delegation is on an official visit to Kinshasa since the beginning of the week. The purpose of their visit is to lay the foundation for investigations that will help track down and punish those who committed the heinous crimes on civilian populations, from the period running from 1st July 2002 », LE POTENTIEL writes in its editorial entitled Righting all wrongs. The paper announces that ICC « will dispatch, as of next September, an investigators' team to the DRC to compile facts and bring the whole truth to light». The paper hopes that those to be found guilty will be punished accordingly one day. It however regrets that ICC will not as well focus on the crimes committed prior to its establishment. « It is an open secret that the DRC is not only plagued by the 1998 war. (') It appears like no crimes had been committed during the 1996 'liberation war'. If the Rwandan genocide was blown out of proportion, why should very little attention be given to the three million five hundred thousand Congolese killed in this war as announced by most credible sources' », the paper writes, stressing that ICC verdict must be consistent with the law.
Pygmees have come to Kinshasa to meet with ICC inspectors «with evidence of abuses on their community», announces LE PHARE on its front page. The paper says that the pygmies, belonging to the Bambutsi ethnic group, were victims of massacres perpetrated by rebel-armed groups during the 1998 war aimed to oust late president Laurent-Désiré Kabila. « Despised due to their morphology and size ('), the Bambutsi pygmies were also slaughtered because their flesh allegedly contained some magic power that makes people invulnerable to gun shots. They were also massacred because they live in a mineral-rich region hunted by leaders of armed groups to meet huge expenses resulting from the war», the paper writes. The paper further recalls that there were several investigations into the massacres of pygmies by several organisations among which MONUC in Mambassa and Ituri. « According to MONUC report, several people who were interrogated in Mambassa, Erengeti, Beni and Utsha declared having seen Jean-Pierre Bemba's troops slaughtering pygmies before eating their fish either grilled or raw», highlights LE PHARE. « There is every indication that ICC inspectors would make revelations that would certainly put some ex-rebel movements in an embarrassing situation with unpredictable impacts on the transitional process», the paper writes.
LE POTENTIEL echoing RADIO OKAPI, reveals the finding of arms cache in Katanga in the district surrounding Pweto: «two tanks, rocket-launchers and a sizeable amount of ammunition, all of them buried», the paper writes, adding that this zone was for two years held by Zimbabwean troops fighting alongside the Congolese Armed Forces.
Arms embargo on eastern DRC armed groups extended, headlines L'OBSERVATEUR. LE PHARE adds that the Security Council has decided to renew this embargo until 31 July 2005. According to the paper, the decision is consecutive to a report issued by the group of experts put in place in this regard which charges Rwanda and some DRC political actors with violating the embargo.
« In this specific context, discussions are to be held this Thursday 29 July 2004 in New York about the two-month renewed mandate of MONUC in DRC by the Security Council », highlights L'OBSERVATEUR. « A reinforcement of MONUC strength currently standing at more or less 10,000 peacekeepers will be at the centre of the discussions», further says the paper. LE PHARE, in turn, says that the UN Mission is worried about the ongoing situation in Kalehe where tension is running high. The paper echoes MONUC weekly news conference and reports sporadic exchange of fires between the troops of the 10th military region under the command of General Mbuja Mabe and those of the dissident Laurent Nkunda. « This situation has been going on and on since the withdrawal of Laurent Nkunda's troops from the town of Bukavu early June», the paper reports. According to L'AVENIR, Mbuja Mabe has called upon the population to report all illegal entries and exits, in his address to the South Kivu population and the regular troops last week following «the attempt by four Rwandan troops dressed in civilian cloth to infiltrate the town of Bukavu».
Bukavu war: sanctions are on the way, predicts LE POTENTIEL. It reveals the UN Security Council's intention to step up MONUC's logistic and human capacities to make it «able to deter those attempting to disrupt the DRC peace process» and expresses hopes that sanctions will be taken against those who gave support to the Congolese dissidents, alluding to «Rwanda in this case, if duly proved guilty». LE PALMARES hails the condemnation, by Great Britain, of President Paul Kagame and the presence of Rwandan troops in the DRC, voiced by the British Secretary of State for International Development, Hilary Benn on «21 July 2004 in London-based Royal Institute of International Affairs».
LE POTENTIEL goes back over the nationality-relating issue discussed by the Parliament under the headlines Double nationality, the paper says. «Rhetoric's battle between self-proclaimed MPs will make waves. We must fear the worst», writes the paper, describing the law on nationality as a « dynamite » which some members are inclined to use for « pyromaniac, ethnocide, Al-quaïda» purposes. The paper considers that not only the Tutsi or Hutu in the Kivus are «targeted» by the law on nationality; « It is rather all the big mouths whose spouses and children are Canadians, Van Trucs, Yankees or Gaul, not to mention the West Africans».
Many Congolese rulers have double nationality, adds LE PHARE in its front page, though the Congolese nationality is one and exclusive. « They (those Congolese) must be brought to Justice for having cheated on the nationality-relating issue», the paper says. « They are no longer Congolese. Yet, they are leading the Congolese, the very people who, in the past, declined the Congolese nationality», the paper further says before concluding: «their illegal situation must urgently be addressed».
A new crisis to be faced by Government soon, headlines the same paper, further indicating that the forthcoming meeting between diamonds dealers in Central Africa, scheduled to take place in Brazzaville, stems from a meeting between the Congolese President, Denis Sassou Nguesso and the DRC Vice-President for Economic and Financial matters, Jean-Pierre Bemba, LE PHARE says. The paper recalls that as of 9 July 2004, President Sassou was banned to export diamonds, following the complaint lodged by Kinshasa with the Canadian team leading the Kimberley process charging Brazzaville with facilitating illegal diamond traffic. According to the paper, the team of experts noticed, last May, that «Congo-Brazzaville was not able to certify the origin of between 4 and 5 millions carats which it has been exporting annually while It artisanally produces about 50,000 carats a year». The paper asserts from «reliable sources» that Mr. Sassou manifested his discontent against the embargo on its country's diamond and called on Mr. Bemba to be his advocate to the other presidential players. Congo-Brazzaville officials allegedly demanded «the DRC Minister of Mine's resignation, Eugène Diomi Ndongala, who formally signed the complaint which put them in an embarrassing situation». LE PHARE refers to a « remake Ghonda's affairs». LA REFERENCE PLUS announces on its front page: Jean-Pierre Bemba demands Diomi Ndongala's resignation and La TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES headlines: Jean-Pierre Bemba reports Diomi Ndongala to Joseph Kabila and Arthur Z'Ahidi.
Pygmees have come to Kinshasa to meet with ICC inspectors «with evidence of abuses on their community», announces LE PHARE on its front page. The paper says that the pygmies, belonging to the Bambutsi ethnic group, were victims of massacres perpetrated by rebel-armed groups during the 1998 war aimed to oust late president Laurent-Désiré Kabila. « Despised due to their morphology and size ('), the Bambutsi pygmies were also slaughtered because their flesh allegedly contained some magic power that makes people invulnerable to gun shots. They were also massacred because they live in a mineral-rich region hunted by leaders of armed groups to meet huge expenses resulting from the war», the paper writes. The paper further recalls that there were several investigations into the massacres of pygmies by several organisations among which MONUC in Mambassa and Ituri. « According to MONUC report, several people who were interrogated in Mambassa, Erengeti, Beni and Utsha declared having seen Jean-Pierre Bemba's troops slaughtering pygmies before eating their fish either grilled or raw», highlights LE PHARE. « There is every indication that ICC inspectors would make revelations that would certainly put some ex-rebel movements in an embarrassing situation with unpredictable impacts on the transitional process», the paper writes.
LE POTENTIEL echoing RADIO OKAPI, reveals the finding of arms cache in Katanga in the district surrounding Pweto: «two tanks, rocket-launchers and a sizeable amount of ammunition, all of them buried», the paper writes, adding that this zone was for two years held by Zimbabwean troops fighting alongside the Congolese Armed Forces.
Arms embargo on eastern DRC armed groups extended, headlines L'OBSERVATEUR. LE PHARE adds that the Security Council has decided to renew this embargo until 31 July 2005. According to the paper, the decision is consecutive to a report issued by the group of experts put in place in this regard which charges Rwanda and some DRC political actors with violating the embargo.
« In this specific context, discussions are to be held this Thursday 29 July 2004 in New York about the two-month renewed mandate of MONUC in DRC by the Security Council », highlights L'OBSERVATEUR. « A reinforcement of MONUC strength currently standing at more or less 10,000 peacekeepers will be at the centre of the discussions», further says the paper. LE PHARE, in turn, says that the UN Mission is worried about the ongoing situation in Kalehe where tension is running high. The paper echoes MONUC weekly news conference and reports sporadic exchange of fires between the troops of the 10th military region under the command of General Mbuja Mabe and those of the dissident Laurent Nkunda. « This situation has been going on and on since the withdrawal of Laurent Nkunda's troops from the town of Bukavu early June», the paper reports. According to L'AVENIR, Mbuja Mabe has called upon the population to report all illegal entries and exits, in his address to the South Kivu population and the regular troops last week following «the attempt by four Rwandan troops dressed in civilian cloth to infiltrate the town of Bukavu».
Bukavu war: sanctions are on the way, predicts LE POTENTIEL. It reveals the UN Security Council's intention to step up MONUC's logistic and human capacities to make it «able to deter those attempting to disrupt the DRC peace process» and expresses hopes that sanctions will be taken against those who gave support to the Congolese dissidents, alluding to «Rwanda in this case, if duly proved guilty». LE PALMARES hails the condemnation, by Great Britain, of President Paul Kagame and the presence of Rwandan troops in the DRC, voiced by the British Secretary of State for International Development, Hilary Benn on «21 July 2004 in London-based Royal Institute of International Affairs».
LE POTENTIEL goes back over the nationality-relating issue discussed by the Parliament under the headlines Double nationality, the paper says. «Rhetoric's battle between self-proclaimed MPs will make waves. We must fear the worst», writes the paper, describing the law on nationality as a « dynamite » which some members are inclined to use for « pyromaniac, ethnocide, Al-quaïda» purposes. The paper considers that not only the Tutsi or Hutu in the Kivus are «targeted» by the law on nationality; « It is rather all the big mouths whose spouses and children are Canadians, Van Trucs, Yankees or Gaul, not to mention the West Africans».
Many Congolese rulers have double nationality, adds LE PHARE in its front page, though the Congolese nationality is one and exclusive. « They (those Congolese) must be brought to Justice for having cheated on the nationality-relating issue», the paper says. « They are no longer Congolese. Yet, they are leading the Congolese, the very people who, in the past, declined the Congolese nationality», the paper further says before concluding: «their illegal situation must urgently be addressed».
A new crisis to be faced by Government soon, headlines the same paper, further indicating that the forthcoming meeting between diamonds dealers in Central Africa, scheduled to take place in Brazzaville, stems from a meeting between the Congolese President, Denis Sassou Nguesso and the DRC Vice-President for Economic and Financial matters, Jean-Pierre Bemba, LE PHARE says. The paper recalls that as of 9 July 2004, President Sassou was banned to export diamonds, following the complaint lodged by Kinshasa with the Canadian team leading the Kimberley process charging Brazzaville with facilitating illegal diamond traffic. According to the paper, the team of experts noticed, last May, that «Congo-Brazzaville was not able to certify the origin of between 4 and 5 millions carats which it has been exporting annually while It artisanally produces about 50,000 carats a year». The paper asserts from «reliable sources» that Mr. Sassou manifested his discontent against the embargo on its country's diamond and called on Mr. Bemba to be his advocate to the other presidential players. Congo-Brazzaville officials allegedly demanded «the DRC Minister of Mine's resignation, Eugène Diomi Ndongala, who formally signed the complaint which put them in an embarrassing situation». LE PHARE refers to a « remake Ghonda's affairs». LA REFERENCE PLUS announces on its front page: Jean-Pierre Bemba demands Diomi Ndongala's resignation and La TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES headlines: Jean-Pierre Bemba reports Diomi Ndongala to Joseph Kabila and Arthur Z'Ahidi.
