UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
5 Mar
2009
Press Review
The event of 28 March in Kinshasa continues to spark local press comments. Today's papers echo various reactions from the International Community and some DRC political players.
The headlines in LE PHARE read: "The mystery remains!" noting that nothing new has come out regarding the major events that have been the talk of the town since Sunday. ''The origin of these serious incidents is yet to be known while the allegation on the coup put forward by some people has been described by others as a scenario in bad taste'', indicates the paper expressing doubts about the possibility of a putsch which ''no one believes in Kinshasa''. According to the paper, ''the presumed twenty assailants could not gain control of strategic points in town, nor were they allowed to gain possession of Government premises''. ''The physical condition of the people presented them as assailants, though they were nothing like dreadful Ranger-type commandos'', gives a beating to the assumption of a coup, says the paper.
LE POTENTIEL brings forward four theories on the Sunday events ''with all the customary reservations''. The first version indicates ''an attempt by unidentified elements to capture strategic military targets'', a theory that was confirmed by the Minister of Information, Vital Kamerhe and his colleague, Minister of the Interior, Théophile Mbemba, notes the paper. ''The second version indicates a mutiny reportedly due to non-payment of military wages''... the third theory put forward by president Joseph Kabila and Army Chief of Staff, Sylvain Mbuki refers to ''terrorists'' and ''bandits''. The fourth mentions ''a crude montage of some obscure circles'', organized by ''individuals who are afraid of the elections''.
The Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD) does not believe in a coup attempt, arguing that '' 37 individuals armed with small weapons and grenades cannot make an assault on a city like Kinshasa that has battalions, brigades and even military divisions equipped with a whole battery of weapons'', reports LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES. The RCD, through the voice of Moise Nyarugabo, compares the codenamed Pentecost Putsch operation, as a put-in by a local theatre group. In the same breadth, LE PHARE indicates that ''Vice-President Azarias Ruberwa has described the whole scenario as a comedy, without clearly expressing what he meant by his comment''. The ex-rebel movement demands ''independent, objective and impartial investigations'', notes LE PHARE. It also calls on the International Committee for the Support of the Transition (CIAT) to implement the additional security measures for all the political leaders during the transition''.
L'OBSERVATEUR publishes a CIAT communiqué condemning the attempt to disrupt the transition. ''The CIAT wishes to see the opened investigation determine the origin and identity of those who organized the Sunday event'', reports the paper, echoing South Africa's indignation: "the South African Government and the member States of the African Union will never approve any such attempt leading to an illegal transfer of power to the detriment of a legitimate transitional government in DRC''.
LA REFERENCE PLUS publishes several reactions, among which the UDPS states that the 28th of March event is not an isolated incident; it follows a string of acts aimed against national reconciliation, among other things, the conflicts at the Head of the State level, the delay in the making of laws relating to the elections, the preparation of an anti-social budget, the putting in place of an integrated army and the national police, the republican security services and the DDR process. The paper also echoes the reactions of the five institutions due to back up the democracy ''firmly condemning the barbarous acts which could have destabilised the DRC transitional institutions'', and calls on the Government to ''make every effort in order to ensure the people's security as well as their properties throughout the national territory''.
LE POTENTIEL brings forward four theories on the Sunday events ''with all the customary reservations''. The first version indicates ''an attempt by unidentified elements to capture strategic military targets'', a theory that was confirmed by the Minister of Information, Vital Kamerhe and his colleague, Minister of the Interior, Théophile Mbemba, notes the paper. ''The second version indicates a mutiny reportedly due to non-payment of military wages''... the third theory put forward by president Joseph Kabila and Army Chief of Staff, Sylvain Mbuki refers to ''terrorists'' and ''bandits''. The fourth mentions ''a crude montage of some obscure circles'', organized by ''individuals who are afraid of the elections''.
The Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD) does not believe in a coup attempt, arguing that '' 37 individuals armed with small weapons and grenades cannot make an assault on a city like Kinshasa that has battalions, brigades and even military divisions equipped with a whole battery of weapons'', reports LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES. The RCD, through the voice of Moise Nyarugabo, compares the codenamed Pentecost Putsch operation, as a put-in by a local theatre group. In the same breadth, LE PHARE indicates that ''Vice-President Azarias Ruberwa has described the whole scenario as a comedy, without clearly expressing what he meant by his comment''. The ex-rebel movement demands ''independent, objective and impartial investigations'', notes LE PHARE. It also calls on the International Committee for the Support of the Transition (CIAT) to implement the additional security measures for all the political leaders during the transition''.
L'OBSERVATEUR publishes a CIAT communiqué condemning the attempt to disrupt the transition. ''The CIAT wishes to see the opened investigation determine the origin and identity of those who organized the Sunday event'', reports the paper, echoing South Africa's indignation: "the South African Government and the member States of the African Union will never approve any such attempt leading to an illegal transfer of power to the detriment of a legitimate transitional government in DRC''.
LA REFERENCE PLUS publishes several reactions, among which the UDPS states that the 28th of March event is not an isolated incident; it follows a string of acts aimed against national reconciliation, among other things, the conflicts at the Head of the State level, the delay in the making of laws relating to the elections, the preparation of an anti-social budget, the putting in place of an integrated army and the national police, the republican security services and the DDR process. The paper also echoes the reactions of the five institutions due to back up the democracy ''firmly condemning the barbarous acts which could have destabilised the DRC transitional institutions'', and calls on the Government to ''make every effort in order to ensure the people's security as well as their properties throughout the national territory''.
