UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
5 Mar
2009
Press Review
The retaking of Kamanyola district and the fleeing of colonel Jules Mutebutsi and his insurgent troops to Rwanda are the dominant topics largely commented by Kinshasa local papers today.''
Jules Mutebutsi, one of the Congolese chief dissidents who plunged the town of Bukavu and its vicinity into mourning between late May and early June, have found refuge in Rwanda with 305 troops, after being driven out of Kamanyola'', L'OBSERVATEUR announces. The paper further says that ''the fleeing of the dissident soldiers to Rwanda followed the increasing pressures made by government forces under General Mbuza Mabe, commander of the 10th military region''.
LE PALMARES reports that, in Rwanda where they found refuge, ''the dissident Colonel and his troops (are allegedly) confined to a football field near Cyangungu''. The paper says that ''they were first disarmed like small children by Rwandan authorities'' further indicating: ''Mutebutsi's adventure turned sour''. Confused, the mutineer colonel declared that he would, for the moment, ''stay in Rwanda'' with a status of ''war refugees'' granted to his troops. LE PALMARES further writes ''to get over his failure, Mutebutsi has accused Monuc of having killed five of his troops in Kamanyola''.
LE POTENTIEL says that after recovering Kamanyola, the government should ''consolidate this important step in the right direction by accelerating the integration process of the former belligerent forces into a real restructured and republican army, in order to avert any surprises in future''.
Joseph Kabila hails FARDC for retaking Bukavu and Kamanyola, writes FORUM DES AS echoing president Kabila's message ''congratulating the Congolese loyalist troops and population, who contributed to the retaking of the territories under the sway of general Nkunda and colonel Mutebutsi''. In his message published in full, President Joseph Kabila explains that '' the military build-up in eastern DRC shall be reinforced to secure the population, restore government authority in that part of the country and neutralise armed groups trying to disrupt the transitional process''. He also highlighted that the military build-up will also ''support Monuc action regarding disarmament, demobilisation and repatriation of ex-FAR troops still present in the country''.
LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES as far as it is concerned, notes ''a sudden revival of Anglo-Saxon activities after the Rwandan army through the Congolese insurgents has been routed,'' alluding to the presence of a ''heavy American delegation in Kinshasa led by the under- secretary of state for African affairs, Don Yamamoto'', and a ''British high-ranking official''. ''The delegation conveys a message of appeasement aimed at defusing the tensions between the DRC and Rwanda''. The paper indicates that 'Kigali is in panic' after colonel Mutebutsi and his troops have been driven out of Kamanyola.
According to L'AVENIR, the 10,000 FARDC troops deployed in the East gives sleepless nights to Rwanda and its puppets. The same view is shared by LA REFERENCE PLUS, which indicates that Rwandans fear an attack from DRC in light of the troop build-up in eastern DRC. The paper quotes a press statement released by Agence France Presse, specifying that for Kigali, '' the troop build-up in eastern DRC is, above all, aimed at preparing an attack against Rwanda''. This leads ''Kigali, as usual, to openly threaten to invade the DRC''.
An article written by Agence Presse Associée (APA) echoed by FORUM DES AS and LA REFERENCE PLUS reads: the UN is struggling to restore its image in DRC. The article reveals that after the demonstrations, which degenerated in acts of vandalism early June 2004, ''the United Nations Mission in DRC (Monuc) began struggling to restore its image''. APA quotes, under condition of anonymity, a UN diplomat as declaring that ''after Rwanda, we (Monuc) are the most hated entity by the Congolese people''. ''In order to justify the UN mission's operations and defend its image, Patricia Tome, head of MONUC Public Information, personally intervenes for peace on radio Okapi whose audience rating is the highest in DRC and regularly holds the weekly news conference''.
LE PALMARES reports that, in Rwanda where they found refuge, ''the dissident Colonel and his troops (are allegedly) confined to a football field near Cyangungu''. The paper says that ''they were first disarmed like small children by Rwandan authorities'' further indicating: ''Mutebutsi's adventure turned sour''. Confused, the mutineer colonel declared that he would, for the moment, ''stay in Rwanda'' with a status of ''war refugees'' granted to his troops. LE PALMARES further writes ''to get over his failure, Mutebutsi has accused Monuc of having killed five of his troops in Kamanyola''.
LE POTENTIEL says that after recovering Kamanyola, the government should ''consolidate this important step in the right direction by accelerating the integration process of the former belligerent forces into a real restructured and republican army, in order to avert any surprises in future''.
Joseph Kabila hails FARDC for retaking Bukavu and Kamanyola, writes FORUM DES AS echoing president Kabila's message ''congratulating the Congolese loyalist troops and population, who contributed to the retaking of the territories under the sway of general Nkunda and colonel Mutebutsi''. In his message published in full, President Joseph Kabila explains that '' the military build-up in eastern DRC shall be reinforced to secure the population, restore government authority in that part of the country and neutralise armed groups trying to disrupt the transitional process''. He also highlighted that the military build-up will also ''support Monuc action regarding disarmament, demobilisation and repatriation of ex-FAR troops still present in the country''.
LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES as far as it is concerned, notes ''a sudden revival of Anglo-Saxon activities after the Rwandan army through the Congolese insurgents has been routed,'' alluding to the presence of a ''heavy American delegation in Kinshasa led by the under- secretary of state for African affairs, Don Yamamoto'', and a ''British high-ranking official''. ''The delegation conveys a message of appeasement aimed at defusing the tensions between the DRC and Rwanda''. The paper indicates that 'Kigali is in panic' after colonel Mutebutsi and his troops have been driven out of Kamanyola.
According to L'AVENIR, the 10,000 FARDC troops deployed in the East gives sleepless nights to Rwanda and its puppets. The same view is shared by LA REFERENCE PLUS, which indicates that Rwandans fear an attack from DRC in light of the troop build-up in eastern DRC. The paper quotes a press statement released by Agence France Presse, specifying that for Kigali, '' the troop build-up in eastern DRC is, above all, aimed at preparing an attack against Rwanda''. This leads ''Kigali, as usual, to openly threaten to invade the DRC''.
An article written by Agence Presse Associée (APA) echoed by FORUM DES AS and LA REFERENCE PLUS reads: the UN is struggling to restore its image in DRC. The article reveals that after the demonstrations, which degenerated in acts of vandalism early June 2004, ''the United Nations Mission in DRC (Monuc) began struggling to restore its image''. APA quotes, under condition of anonymity, a UN diplomat as declaring that ''after Rwanda, we (Monuc) are the most hated entity by the Congolese people''. ''In order to justify the UN mission's operations and defend its image, Patricia Tome, head of MONUC Public Information, personally intervenes for peace on radio Okapi whose audience rating is the highest in DRC and regularly holds the weekly news conference''.
