UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
5 Mar
2009
Press Review
Today's local press devotes their comments on the prevailing insecurity in the East of the Democratic Republic of the Congo with the confirmed presence of Rwandan troops, the rumours on the nomination of a coordinator for government activities and, the Roadmap that led a polling organization to sound out the Congolese opinion.
''The Transitional Government was surprised and deeply saddened to learn that the Rwandan Defence Forces (FDR) was present in Bunangana district, a frontier post inside DRC, in the Rutshuru territory, Nord-Kvu province'', indicates L'OBSERVATEUR, echoing the content of a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued on Sunday 25 April 2004. The paper highlights that ''the presence has been confirmed by Monuc which further declared that it was intensifying its verification operations in the region''. The paper recalls that Rwandan army has concentrated its troops along its border with the DRC ''to prevent possible attacks from the Rwandan Hutu rebels of the FDLR, from the DRC territory''. Following the above, the Congolese government sent a letter to the UN Secretary General proposing the creation ''of an Independent Board of Enquiry under the leadership of Monuc, with a view to enlighten the public opinion on the incursions of the armed groups into Rwandan territory'', reports L'OBSERVATEUR.
The same paper says, ''in the Ruzizi plain, Rwandan troops have suffered a bitter defeat from the Mbuza Mabe and Maï-Maï troops''. L'OBSERVATEUR further says that for the past two or three days, the Congolese, galvanised by their chief commanders driven on by this watchword 'life or death', put the troops from Kigali to flight. The paper indicates that Rwandans recently drove out Monuc from Bunagana (Nord-Kivu), inside DRC territory. It hails the unequivocal attitude adopted by the UN mission ''in the face of all those who, amongst others, the Rwandans who violate the DRC territorial integrity'''. For the first time, writes the paper,'' Monuc has met our expectations denying Rwandan troops entrance into the DRC territory therefore preventing them from spreading in desolation and death''.
LE PHARE notes, for its part, the alarming situation led MONUC's chief, William Swing to write two official letters to the ministers of Foreign Affairs of Rwanda and of the DRC on Friday. ''In his notes, Mr. Swing refers to alleged attacks launched by FDLR near the border between the DRC and Rwanda'', indicates the paper, adding that Monuc declares having seen Rwandan troops in the Bunagana district, inside the DRC. The paper feels that ''the signs of war noted in the East of the DRC are a bad omen for the rest of the Transition''. According to the paper, besides the threat of war pitting the Rwandan army against the FDLR rebels or the Rwandan army against the DRC, there is also the pernicious issue on the ''identification of the Congolese in the East'', which also risks stalling a process that should lead to the elections.
According to L'AVENIR, the Government is opposed to the idea of a Government coordinator. The paper echoes 24 April Cabinet meeting report and indicates that the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for the DRC, William Swing, recently announced the beginning of consultations on the appointment of a Government coordinator. But the cabinet meeting addressing this issue mentioned ''persistent rumours'' to which the government is strongly opposed and remains attached to the ''the spirit of the All-inclusive Agreement and Constitution''.
In the meantime, province Governors were summoned to Kinshasa, reveals FORUM DES AS, adding that they came to receive guidelines from the hierarchy, in anticipation of the putting-in-place within the territorial administration.
President Joseph Kabila reportedly envisages a government reshuffle, according to LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES. The paper goes on a letter sent to the Head of State by the democratic wing of the political opposition, headed by Kamitatu Massamba. This opposition group appeals to the Head of State to take their wing into consideration as a component of the Political Opposition during his consultations for the government reshuffle.
A probe conducted by 'Institut Facilitas Consulting' shows that the majority of the Congolese deem ''realistic'' the road map on the Transition and declares that the fact of publishing shows the willingness to go the elections swiftly, reports LA REFERENCE PLUS, highlighting however that the Congolese remain pessimistic in regard to the timing set. The people sounded out expressed their views on president Kabila's action to the International Criminal Court declaring that ''President Kabila's complaint to the ICC could be a political strategy to eliminate its rivals in the elections''.
The same paper says, ''in the Ruzizi plain, Rwandan troops have suffered a bitter defeat from the Mbuza Mabe and Maï-Maï troops''. L'OBSERVATEUR further says that for the past two or three days, the Congolese, galvanised by their chief commanders driven on by this watchword 'life or death', put the troops from Kigali to flight. The paper indicates that Rwandans recently drove out Monuc from Bunagana (Nord-Kivu), inside DRC territory. It hails the unequivocal attitude adopted by the UN mission ''in the face of all those who, amongst others, the Rwandans who violate the DRC territorial integrity'''. For the first time, writes the paper,'' Monuc has met our expectations denying Rwandan troops entrance into the DRC territory therefore preventing them from spreading in desolation and death''.
LE PHARE notes, for its part, the alarming situation led MONUC's chief, William Swing to write two official letters to the ministers of Foreign Affairs of Rwanda and of the DRC on Friday. ''In his notes, Mr. Swing refers to alleged attacks launched by FDLR near the border between the DRC and Rwanda'', indicates the paper, adding that Monuc declares having seen Rwandan troops in the Bunagana district, inside the DRC. The paper feels that ''the signs of war noted in the East of the DRC are a bad omen for the rest of the Transition''. According to the paper, besides the threat of war pitting the Rwandan army against the FDLR rebels or the Rwandan army against the DRC, there is also the pernicious issue on the ''identification of the Congolese in the East'', which also risks stalling a process that should lead to the elections.
According to L'AVENIR, the Government is opposed to the idea of a Government coordinator. The paper echoes 24 April Cabinet meeting report and indicates that the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for the DRC, William Swing, recently announced the beginning of consultations on the appointment of a Government coordinator. But the cabinet meeting addressing this issue mentioned ''persistent rumours'' to which the government is strongly opposed and remains attached to the ''the spirit of the All-inclusive Agreement and Constitution''.
In the meantime, province Governors were summoned to Kinshasa, reveals FORUM DES AS, adding that they came to receive guidelines from the hierarchy, in anticipation of the putting-in-place within the territorial administration.
President Joseph Kabila reportedly envisages a government reshuffle, according to LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES. The paper goes on a letter sent to the Head of State by the democratic wing of the political opposition, headed by Kamitatu Massamba. This opposition group appeals to the Head of State to take their wing into consideration as a component of the Political Opposition during his consultations for the government reshuffle.
A probe conducted by 'Institut Facilitas Consulting' shows that the majority of the Congolese deem ''realistic'' the road map on the Transition and declares that the fact of publishing shows the willingness to go the elections swiftly, reports LA REFERENCE PLUS, highlighting however that the Congolese remain pessimistic in regard to the timing set. The people sounded out expressed their views on president Kabila's action to the International Criminal Court declaring that ''President Kabila's complaint to the ICC could be a political strategy to eliminate its rivals in the elections''.
