UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
4 Mar
2009
DRC Press Review
The news, as reported in today's Kinshasa's press, is dominated primarily by an assessment of the transitional process, the security situation in Bukavu where MONUC has discovered new arms caches, a debate within the Transitional Parliament on the question relative to the army's reunification. Also covered is Harare's impounding of a plane carrying 65 mercenaries – a plane "bound for the DR Congo," according to some papers.
LE PHARE carries an analysis of the political situation in the DRC, as presented by the spokesman for the UN Mission in the DRC (MONUC) during a weekly news briefing held on Wednesday. "February was a difficult month for MONUC", the spokesman said, as quoted by the paper. "Mainly, Major Kasongo's case revealed the ability of Congolese to resolve their own problems by surpassing themselves. There had been some concerns within MONUC, but [the Mission] was [later] reassured by the behaviour of the political actors. It is [MONUC]'s hope that future incidents will be addressed in the same manner," the spokesman said. Moreover, "MONUC welcomed the recalling of General Nabyolwa (Commander of the 10th military region) to Kinshasa. The objective of these different steps was to definitely restore peace in Bukavu."
In another story titled "Swing brandishes Chapter 7" of the UN Chapter, LE PHARE recalls the position of the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for the DRC and MONUC's chief on the peace process. "The Congolese Government must take control throughout the national territory and establish an appropriate political framework, especially through the elaboration of the various organic laws," Mr. William Swing said on Monday, addressing representatives of humanitarian agencies. "He reiterated what had become a real leitmotiv for him lately. William Swing seemed intent to relay the concerns expressed recently by the International Committee of Support for the Transition in relation to the delays observed on the part of both the Government and the Parliament in the drafting and adoption of the legal framework that must lead the Congolese to elections," the paper comments.
With respect to the situation in the DRC's Northeast, the Special Representative "pledged to use fully the resources of the UN forces in Ituri, pending deployment of a further brigade in the provinces of North and South Kivu."
"The provincial capital of South Kivu remains under the media spotlight: 40 arms caches were discovered in Bukavu yesterday," LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES headlines. The daily quotes Radio Okapi as saying "On March 10, some 40 arms caches were discovered, which contained rocket propellers, several other kinds of weapons, and ammunitions. It is MONUC that discovered this arsenal in the possession of seven officers."
The question relative to the security situation in Bukavu and the reunification of the army was at the heart of a debate in Parliament on Wednesday. During his hearing, the Minister of Defence, Jean-Pierre Ondekane, gave details "linking the dysfunction observed within the army to the fact that the chain of command is not yet completely established. The report on the events in Bukavu will be made public when (Land Forces chief of staff) General Sylvain Buki, who is leading the investigation, returns [to Kinshasa]," LE POTENTIEL reports.
Referring to the plane impounded by authorities in Harare, Zimbabwe, for investigation reasons, L'AVENIR headlines "The DRC threatened by yet another plot." "Since last Sunday, a Boeing 727/100 is grounded at the international airport in Harare, after its owners have made false declarations to customs officials concerning the plane's cargo...To this day, the mystery is yet to be completely elucidated. According to the first emerging details, the cargo was intended to cause damage notably in Equatorial Guinea and Democratic Republic of the Congo," the paper writes.
"An attempted putsch in Kinshasa," headlines FORUM DES AS, referring to "the 65 African mercenaries arrested in Zimbabwe." According to the paper, "the DRC, Equatorial Guinea and Zimbabwe (were) the target of the commando financed by multinational companies."
In another story titled "Swing brandishes Chapter 7" of the UN Chapter, LE PHARE recalls the position of the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for the DRC and MONUC's chief on the peace process. "The Congolese Government must take control throughout the national territory and establish an appropriate political framework, especially through the elaboration of the various organic laws," Mr. William Swing said on Monday, addressing representatives of humanitarian agencies. "He reiterated what had become a real leitmotiv for him lately. William Swing seemed intent to relay the concerns expressed recently by the International Committee of Support for the Transition in relation to the delays observed on the part of both the Government and the Parliament in the drafting and adoption of the legal framework that must lead the Congolese to elections," the paper comments.
With respect to the situation in the DRC's Northeast, the Special Representative "pledged to use fully the resources of the UN forces in Ituri, pending deployment of a further brigade in the provinces of North and South Kivu."
"The provincial capital of South Kivu remains under the media spotlight: 40 arms caches were discovered in Bukavu yesterday," LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES headlines. The daily quotes Radio Okapi as saying "On March 10, some 40 arms caches were discovered, which contained rocket propellers, several other kinds of weapons, and ammunitions. It is MONUC that discovered this arsenal in the possession of seven officers."
The question relative to the security situation in Bukavu and the reunification of the army was at the heart of a debate in Parliament on Wednesday. During his hearing, the Minister of Defence, Jean-Pierre Ondekane, gave details "linking the dysfunction observed within the army to the fact that the chain of command is not yet completely established. The report on the events in Bukavu will be made public when (Land Forces chief of staff) General Sylvain Buki, who is leading the investigation, returns [to Kinshasa]," LE POTENTIEL reports.
Referring to the plane impounded by authorities in Harare, Zimbabwe, for investigation reasons, L'AVENIR headlines "The DRC threatened by yet another plot." "Since last Sunday, a Boeing 727/100 is grounded at the international airport in Harare, after its owners have made false declarations to customs officials concerning the plane's cargo...To this day, the mystery is yet to be completely elucidated. According to the first emerging details, the cargo was intended to cause damage notably in Equatorial Guinea and Democratic Republic of the Congo," the paper writes.
"An attempted putsch in Kinshasa," headlines FORUM DES AS, referring to "the 65 African mercenaries arrested in Zimbabwe." According to the paper, "the DRC, Equatorial Guinea and Zimbabwe (were) the target of the commando financed by multinational companies."
