UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
5 Mar
2009
Press Review
Today's local papers in Kinshasa devote their headlines to the normalization of relations between Brazzaville and Kinshasa, after the tensions between both countries following last weekend's events in Kinshasa.
FORUM DES AS recalls that relations between Brazzaville and Kinshasa became strained due to Sunday 28 March events. ''The worst is to be feared in view of the ensuing sparring match between the two closest capitals in the world following the alleged aborted coup masterminded from Brazzaville'', writes the paper, announcing that in order to clear all misunderstanding surrounding this affair, the Head of State, Major General Joseph Kabila, decided to dispatch his Special Security Adviser, Pr. Samba Kaputo, to Congo Brazzaville to meet President, Denis Sassou Nguesso. Referring to the purpose of his mission, professor Samba Kaputo declared that he was ''tasked to explain what really happened to president Sassou Nguesso". With respect to the alleged implication of Congo Brazzaville in the Kinshasa event, Mr. Kaputo indicated that '' the DRC has never accused Brazzaville authorities of being implicated'', reports the paper.
L'OBSERVATEUR indicates that the authorities of both countries do not skimp on their means to prevent further cooling of relations between both capital cities. ''Top-level contacts were made during the last 48 hours between both countries. The Congolese Head of State, Joseph Kabila held phone conversations with his Congo Brazzavile counterpart, president Sassou Nguesso'', reveals the paper.
After Samba Kaputo's mission, another DRC Government mission is to travel to Brazzaville this week to discuss security issues between both countries with Brazzaville authorities, reports LE POTENTIEL, adding that the delegation would be comprised of the Ministers of Security, Defence and Foreign Affairs''.
The good will shown by both countries to defuse the tensions leads LE PHARE to say that Kinshasa and Brazzaville have embarked on a policy of appeasement. The paper notes however that this desire for appeasement ''comes after the announcement made by the Brazzaville Minister of Communication to make disconcerting revelations on the Kinshasa events''. What is the content of the said revelations?, wonders the paper noting that in Kinshasa, ''the threat is taken very seriously, which may explain President Kabila's decision to dispatch his adviser to Brazzaville''.
LA REFERENCE PLUS welcomes the '' responsible handling of the crisis at the highest level''. The paper notes that beyond the ''speculations and insinuations surrounding last weekend's events, both countries' attitudes show their desire to play down things and to defuse tensions''.
An arms cache found in Goma, after Bukavu and Kinshasa, reports LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES. The paper says that a large quantity of weapons have been found in the residence of a military officer of the 8th military region. ''The arsenal consisting of 8 individual weapons, a large quantity of ammunitions, grenades, rockets and rocket launchers'' were found by MONUC Task force 1. For MONUC authorities, the paper highlights, ''a military member, whatever his rank in the army is not supposed to hold such a large quantity of weapons in his residence''.
LE PALMARES raises the first anniversary of the Final Act of the Inter-Congolese Dialogue reached on 2 April 2003 in Sun City, South Africa. The paper recalls that the signatories of the All-inclusive agreement pledged, among other things, to comply with the compulsory and binding nature of the resolutions of the Inter-Congolese talks, to refrain from any initiative contrary to the principles of the All-inclusive agreement and to put in place a Transitional Government and other Transitional institutions. A year later, the first steps towards the elections have been taken, but the assessment remains mixed, notes the paper indicating that ''parties did not strictly abide by the spirit and the letter of the agreement''.
The bi-weekly UHURU reveals that William Swing and Z'ahidi Ngoma made an assessment of the first year of the transition, alluding to the meeting between the head of MONUC and the Vice-President for Social and Cultural matters. With respect to the first year of the Transition, the head of MONUC declared ''that a big step forward was made, but there is still a lot to achieve''. The paper says further that Mr. Swing called on all the players to fully commit themselves since there are only fifteen months left before the elections''.
L'OBSERVATEUR indicates that the authorities of both countries do not skimp on their means to prevent further cooling of relations between both capital cities. ''Top-level contacts were made during the last 48 hours between both countries. The Congolese Head of State, Joseph Kabila held phone conversations with his Congo Brazzavile counterpart, president Sassou Nguesso'', reveals the paper.
After Samba Kaputo's mission, another DRC Government mission is to travel to Brazzaville this week to discuss security issues between both countries with Brazzaville authorities, reports LE POTENTIEL, adding that the delegation would be comprised of the Ministers of Security, Defence and Foreign Affairs''.
The good will shown by both countries to defuse the tensions leads LE PHARE to say that Kinshasa and Brazzaville have embarked on a policy of appeasement. The paper notes however that this desire for appeasement ''comes after the announcement made by the Brazzaville Minister of Communication to make disconcerting revelations on the Kinshasa events''. What is the content of the said revelations?, wonders the paper noting that in Kinshasa, ''the threat is taken very seriously, which may explain President Kabila's decision to dispatch his adviser to Brazzaville''.
LA REFERENCE PLUS welcomes the '' responsible handling of the crisis at the highest level''. The paper notes that beyond the ''speculations and insinuations surrounding last weekend's events, both countries' attitudes show their desire to play down things and to defuse tensions''.
An arms cache found in Goma, after Bukavu and Kinshasa, reports LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES. The paper says that a large quantity of weapons have been found in the residence of a military officer of the 8th military region. ''The arsenal consisting of 8 individual weapons, a large quantity of ammunitions, grenades, rockets and rocket launchers'' were found by MONUC Task force 1. For MONUC authorities, the paper highlights, ''a military member, whatever his rank in the army is not supposed to hold such a large quantity of weapons in his residence''.
LE PALMARES raises the first anniversary of the Final Act of the Inter-Congolese Dialogue reached on 2 April 2003 in Sun City, South Africa. The paper recalls that the signatories of the All-inclusive agreement pledged, among other things, to comply with the compulsory and binding nature of the resolutions of the Inter-Congolese talks, to refrain from any initiative contrary to the principles of the All-inclusive agreement and to put in place a Transitional Government and other Transitional institutions. A year later, the first steps towards the elections have been taken, but the assessment remains mixed, notes the paper indicating that ''parties did not strictly abide by the spirit and the letter of the agreement''.
The bi-weekly UHURU reveals that William Swing and Z'ahidi Ngoma made an assessment of the first year of the transition, alluding to the meeting between the head of MONUC and the Vice-President for Social and Cultural matters. With respect to the first year of the Transition, the head of MONUC declared ''that a big step forward was made, but there is still a lot to achieve''. The paper says further that Mr. Swing called on all the players to fully commit themselves since there are only fifteen months left before the elections''.
