UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
5 Mar
2009
DRC Press Review
Today's newspapers mainly focus on the sacking of Antoine Ghonda as Minister of Foreign Affairs and his replacement by Ramazani Baya.
'i>Ramazani Baya replaces Ghonda as Minister of Foreign Affairs,' L'AVENIR announces. According to the paper, during Mobutu's time, Ramazani, 43, was ex-Zaire's ambassador to France and, earlier in 1986, served as Minister of Information and Press. A native of Oriental Province, he holds a degree in political sciences and journalism, as well as a Master's degree in fiscal accounting and diplomacy.
As recalls the paper, while in Paris as ambassador in 1996, Ramazani was involved in a road accident in which two children were killed. His subsequent condemnation led him to resign in what the paper characterises as a 'courageous' move. During the war, 'Concerned about the future of his country, Mr. Ramazani Baya joined the charismatic leader of the MLC in Gbadolite to fight for a new political order in the DRC,' writes the paper, pointing out that until his present nomination, he was diplomatic advisor to Jean-Pierre Bemba.
In an additional comment, L'AVENIR says, 'What appeared to be just a show has become reality. The Congolese Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antoine Ghonda, will no longer perform his duties. Thus have decided the members of his party, the Congolese Liberation Movement (MLC).'
'At last Museveni obtains Antoine Ghonda's head,' titles FORUM DES AS. 'For having resisted President Yoweri Museveni, former backer of the MLC, Antoine Ghonda has become a target for the Ugandan leader who had fomented rebellion in northern DRC since August 1998,' the paper comments. The sacked Minister of Foreign Affairs had stood firm in the defence of the DRC's sovereignty, particularly on the question of nationality, the paper notes. According to the paper, people in Congo are disappointed by Ghonda's removal, not due to his being 'extraordinarily competent or particularly popular, but because of the shocking circumstances of his sacking.' FORUM DES AS asks, 'Why would they sack an MLC Minister who had the courage of defending the country's interests abroad' By so doing Ghonda angered both Uganda and Rwanda so munch that the two countries decided to of the troublesome Foreign Minister.' 'Owing to Museveni's insistent pressure, Ghonda is finally gone, sacrificed by Jean-Pierre Bemba,' the paper notes.
As quoted by FORUM DES AS, an MLC press release gives the reasons behind Ghonda's dismissal as follows: 'confusion in the management of passports, poor management of administrative services and of embassies, the lack of preparedness and the absence of follow-up on day-to-day matters (..) the unresponsiveness of Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials regarding the concerns of chancelleries.' Hence the MLC's decision to replace Antoine Ghonda by Ramazani Baya was made 'independently by exclusively taking into account the high interest of the country,' concludes the release signed by the party's national executive secretary, Thomas Luhaka.
In a piece titled 'Antoine Ghonda sacked: Here are the secret reasons behind Jean-Pierre Bemba's anger against him,' LE PALMARES explains that what really got Bemba in such ' a terrible state' is Ghonda's description, quoted in the Belgian paper LA DERNIERE HEURE, of his Washington meeting with The US President. According to LE PALMARES, Georges W. Bush 'had identified the three pillars of the future of the DRC as being Joseph Kabila, Olivier Kamitatu as well as Antoine Ghonda himself the three of whom total less than a hundred years of age. Being thus ignored by the most powerful man in the world, Jean-Pierre appears to have had only one resort left: banging his fist on the table.' In addition, Bemba reproached Antoine Ghonda 'his great affection for Joseph Kabila.' In addition, in MLC circles, Ghonda is rumoured to have received ' a tidy sum of 10,000 dollars from the former-government component' before any of his trips overseas, says the paper, admitting however that 'this is the kind of rumours people in Kinshasa like to speculate about but which no one can verify.'
L'OBSERVATEUR, for its part, believes that the sacking of Ghonda 'really provides a confirmation of the MLC leader's despotic ways'. 'How notables of the Bas-Congo province (Ghonda's native land) will respond [to Ghonda's sacking] remains to be seen,' notes LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES, wondering also about 'how students who had demonstrated to demand Ghonda retain his post will now react to the decision taken against this statesman of the Transitional Government.'
Referring to the draft nationality law adopted by the Executive and submitted to Parliament, L'AVENIR titles 'The National Assembly does not agreement with the Government.' According to the paper, the Political Commission has suspended discussions on the draft law due to 'flawed procedures'. 'The bill arrived without any accompanying transmission letter by the Head of State,' the paper quotes commission member Jean-Baptiste Birthumana as saying.
'Kigali accuses the UN of playing down the presence of Rwandan militias in the DRC,' titles LE PALMARES, referring to the UN experts' report on the violation of the arms embargo imposed on armed groups in the Great Lakes. As quoted by the paper, Kigali says 'the ex-FAR and Interahamwe forces responsible for the 1994 genocide, provoked the recent conflicts in the DRC and in the region' and rejects UN allegations of Rwandan support for Congolese renegade soldiers who had briefly taken control of Bukavu.
According to L'OBSERVATEUR, Gustave Lobi wa Bawudjo, the chief of staff of the Nationalist and Integrationist Forces (FNI) militia, has been arrested after being investigated by the prosecutor in Bunia. Quoting an Agence France Press dispatch, the paper says, Lobi is accused of involvement in the massacres perpetrated in Ituri, particularly those in Tchomia in 2003. 'MONUC troops have taken this warlord under arrest on Tuesday (July 20) evening,' says the paper, quoting 'reliable sources.'
As recalls the paper, while in Paris as ambassador in 1996, Ramazani was involved in a road accident in which two children were killed. His subsequent condemnation led him to resign in what the paper characterises as a 'courageous' move. During the war, 'Concerned about the future of his country, Mr. Ramazani Baya joined the charismatic leader of the MLC in Gbadolite to fight for a new political order in the DRC,' writes the paper, pointing out that until his present nomination, he was diplomatic advisor to Jean-Pierre Bemba.
In an additional comment, L'AVENIR says, 'What appeared to be just a show has become reality. The Congolese Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antoine Ghonda, will no longer perform his duties. Thus have decided the members of his party, the Congolese Liberation Movement (MLC).'
'At last Museveni obtains Antoine Ghonda's head,' titles FORUM DES AS. 'For having resisted President Yoweri Museveni, former backer of the MLC, Antoine Ghonda has become a target for the Ugandan leader who had fomented rebellion in northern DRC since August 1998,' the paper comments. The sacked Minister of Foreign Affairs had stood firm in the defence of the DRC's sovereignty, particularly on the question of nationality, the paper notes. According to the paper, people in Congo are disappointed by Ghonda's removal, not due to his being 'extraordinarily competent or particularly popular, but because of the shocking circumstances of his sacking.' FORUM DES AS asks, 'Why would they sack an MLC Minister who had the courage of defending the country's interests abroad' By so doing Ghonda angered both Uganda and Rwanda so munch that the two countries decided to of the troublesome Foreign Minister.' 'Owing to Museveni's insistent pressure, Ghonda is finally gone, sacrificed by Jean-Pierre Bemba,' the paper notes.
As quoted by FORUM DES AS, an MLC press release gives the reasons behind Ghonda's dismissal as follows: 'confusion in the management of passports, poor management of administrative services and of embassies, the lack of preparedness and the absence of follow-up on day-to-day matters (..) the unresponsiveness of Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials regarding the concerns of chancelleries.' Hence the MLC's decision to replace Antoine Ghonda by Ramazani Baya was made 'independently by exclusively taking into account the high interest of the country,' concludes the release signed by the party's national executive secretary, Thomas Luhaka.
In a piece titled 'Antoine Ghonda sacked: Here are the secret reasons behind Jean-Pierre Bemba's anger against him,' LE PALMARES explains that what really got Bemba in such ' a terrible state' is Ghonda's description, quoted in the Belgian paper LA DERNIERE HEURE, of his Washington meeting with The US President. According to LE PALMARES, Georges W. Bush 'had identified the three pillars of the future of the DRC as being Joseph Kabila, Olivier Kamitatu as well as Antoine Ghonda himself the three of whom total less than a hundred years of age. Being thus ignored by the most powerful man in the world, Jean-Pierre appears to have had only one resort left: banging his fist on the table.' In addition, Bemba reproached Antoine Ghonda 'his great affection for Joseph Kabila.' In addition, in MLC circles, Ghonda is rumoured to have received ' a tidy sum of 10,000 dollars from the former-government component' before any of his trips overseas, says the paper, admitting however that 'this is the kind of rumours people in Kinshasa like to speculate about but which no one can verify.'
L'OBSERVATEUR, for its part, believes that the sacking of Ghonda 'really provides a confirmation of the MLC leader's despotic ways'. 'How notables of the Bas-Congo province (Ghonda's native land) will respond [to Ghonda's sacking] remains to be seen,' notes LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES, wondering also about 'how students who had demonstrated to demand Ghonda retain his post will now react to the decision taken against this statesman of the Transitional Government.'
Referring to the draft nationality law adopted by the Executive and submitted to Parliament, L'AVENIR titles 'The National Assembly does not agreement with the Government.' According to the paper, the Political Commission has suspended discussions on the draft law due to 'flawed procedures'. 'The bill arrived without any accompanying transmission letter by the Head of State,' the paper quotes commission member Jean-Baptiste Birthumana as saying.
'Kigali accuses the UN of playing down the presence of Rwandan militias in the DRC,' titles LE PALMARES, referring to the UN experts' report on the violation of the arms embargo imposed on armed groups in the Great Lakes. As quoted by the paper, Kigali says 'the ex-FAR and Interahamwe forces responsible for the 1994 genocide, provoked the recent conflicts in the DRC and in the region' and rejects UN allegations of Rwandan support for Congolese renegade soldiers who had briefly taken control of Bukavu.
According to L'OBSERVATEUR, Gustave Lobi wa Bawudjo, the chief of staff of the Nationalist and Integrationist Forces (FNI) militia, has been arrested after being investigated by the prosecutor in Bunia. Quoting an Agence France Press dispatch, the paper says, Lobi is accused of involvement in the massacres perpetrated in Ituri, particularly those in Tchomia in 2003. 'MONUC troops have taken this warlord under arrest on Tuesday (July 20) evening,' says the paper, quoting 'reliable sources.'
