UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
4 Mar
2009
Press Review
The Special Representative of the United Nations for the DRC and MONUC Force Commander's activities, MONUC's repatriation operations of foreign armed groups in DRC, the commemoration of the first anniversary of the All-inclusive agreement as well as the socio-political malaise between the Katangese and Kasai communities in Lubumbashi, Katanga, are the major headlines in today's local press.
Le Potentiel, like the whole press, covers the last MONUC's press conference for the year. It quotes the Mission's Spokesman as announcing that the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for the DRC, William Swing, is attending the meeting of the Donors' consultative group for the DRC. The spokesman updated the press on MONUC's chief activities as part of its support to the peace process. During the meeting, Mr. Swing jointly chaired with the head of the delegation of the European Commission in the DRC, ambassador Carlo Fillipi, a meeting on the financial impacts of the elections, indicated the spokesman.
Le Potentiel comments on the nearly four year-mandate of the MONUC Force commander, General Mountaga Diallo, « who said goodbye to the Congolese» during the press briefing. General Diallo said his mission in DRC was on the whole successful, except the major difficulties encountered while leading the mission: the Ituri conflict and the difficulty in deploying on time. He further mentioned that the DRC peace process and MONUC's deployment were on the good track. He declared himself satisfied with his tour of duty, and especially the breakthrough in the troop-deployment that has reached the authorized ceiling of 10,800 military troops.
La Référence Plus reports on the continuing repatriation of the foreign armed groups cantoned at the Kitona base (since last November.) The paper quotes MONUC spokesman as confirming the repatriation of 392 Ugandan ex-combatants and their dependants by MONUC. MONUC completed the screening of 129 Rwandans including 72 ex-combatants. All of them are to return home in the next few days. Furthermore, MONUC repatriated 29 Rwandan ex-combatants and their families on from Goma on 15 December 2003.
Referring again to MONUC's activities, La Référence Plus, like Le Phare, echoes the full message of the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for the DRC. Under the headlines «Ensuring the irreversibility of the peace process», William Swing reviews the political development in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and lays a special emphasis on « the peace and reunification emblems of the national territory». Mr. Swing further mentions other satisfactory symbols such as « the unique flag flying on the entire DRC territory; unique bank notes, having legal tender throughout the national territory; and the re-opening of the river Congo to civilian and commercial traffics.»
MONUC chief indicates, «to make the peace process irreversible, the few gains enjoyed by the Congolese for the last five months needs to be consolidated. Congolese leaders demonstrate their determination to reach this goal by ' normalizing relations between the DRC and its neighboring countries: Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda, which are a guarantee for the stability in the Great Lakes sub-region' »
« If the year is ending under favorable auspices with some major breakthrough, let us always bear in mind that many challenges are still to come, especially next year. The United Nations, through MONUC and its specialized organizations as well as the international community should play their role of accompanying the process and the Congolese partners must hold the cap and make the peace process irreversible» stressed the Special Representative.
« The All-inclusive Agreement divides actors in the presidential sphere », titles Le Phare on its front page alluding to the commemoration of the first anniversary, yesterday in Kinshasa. « While the state protocol programme indicated that the ceremony for the commemoration of the first anniversary of the All-inclusive agreement would be presided over by the Head of State personally, assisted as usual by the four vice-Presidents, against all expectations, only one of the vice-presidents, namely Yerodia Abdoulaye Ndombasi, was empowered to represent Joseph Kabila. Ruberwa, Jean-Pierre Bemba and Z'Ahidi Ngoma stood away from the events at Palais du peuple» writes the paper.
The same paper finally announces on its front page that « Katanga wants to take over from Ituri », alluding to the recent troubles between the Katangese and Kasai communities in Lubumbashi. The paper indicates, « after the Kyungu's era (a former governor of Katanga province charged with the massive expulsion of the Kasai local residents in 1992 and the ensuing massacres)' a new genocide is in gestation. The last weekend clashes between the members of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress/Union pour la démocratie et le progrès social (UDPS-Etienne Tshisekedi) and those of the National Union of the Congolese federalists/Union nationale des fédéralistes du Congo (UNAFEC led by Kyungu wa Kumwanza) is an indication.
Le Potentiel comments on the nearly four year-mandate of the MONUC Force commander, General Mountaga Diallo, « who said goodbye to the Congolese» during the press briefing. General Diallo said his mission in DRC was on the whole successful, except the major difficulties encountered while leading the mission: the Ituri conflict and the difficulty in deploying on time. He further mentioned that the DRC peace process and MONUC's deployment were on the good track. He declared himself satisfied with his tour of duty, and especially the breakthrough in the troop-deployment that has reached the authorized ceiling of 10,800 military troops.
La Référence Plus reports on the continuing repatriation of the foreign armed groups cantoned at the Kitona base (since last November.) The paper quotes MONUC spokesman as confirming the repatriation of 392 Ugandan ex-combatants and their dependants by MONUC. MONUC completed the screening of 129 Rwandans including 72 ex-combatants. All of them are to return home in the next few days. Furthermore, MONUC repatriated 29 Rwandan ex-combatants and their families on from Goma on 15 December 2003.
Referring again to MONUC's activities, La Référence Plus, like Le Phare, echoes the full message of the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for the DRC. Under the headlines «Ensuring the irreversibility of the peace process», William Swing reviews the political development in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and lays a special emphasis on « the peace and reunification emblems of the national territory». Mr. Swing further mentions other satisfactory symbols such as « the unique flag flying on the entire DRC territory; unique bank notes, having legal tender throughout the national territory; and the re-opening of the river Congo to civilian and commercial traffics.»
MONUC chief indicates, «to make the peace process irreversible, the few gains enjoyed by the Congolese for the last five months needs to be consolidated. Congolese leaders demonstrate their determination to reach this goal by ' normalizing relations between the DRC and its neighboring countries: Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda, which are a guarantee for the stability in the Great Lakes sub-region' »
« If the year is ending under favorable auspices with some major breakthrough, let us always bear in mind that many challenges are still to come, especially next year. The United Nations, through MONUC and its specialized organizations as well as the international community should play their role of accompanying the process and the Congolese partners must hold the cap and make the peace process irreversible» stressed the Special Representative.
« The All-inclusive Agreement divides actors in the presidential sphere », titles Le Phare on its front page alluding to the commemoration of the first anniversary, yesterday in Kinshasa. « While the state protocol programme indicated that the ceremony for the commemoration of the first anniversary of the All-inclusive agreement would be presided over by the Head of State personally, assisted as usual by the four vice-Presidents, against all expectations, only one of the vice-presidents, namely Yerodia Abdoulaye Ndombasi, was empowered to represent Joseph Kabila. Ruberwa, Jean-Pierre Bemba and Z'Ahidi Ngoma stood away from the events at Palais du peuple» writes the paper.
The same paper finally announces on its front page that « Katanga wants to take over from Ituri », alluding to the recent troubles between the Katangese and Kasai communities in Lubumbashi. The paper indicates, « after the Kyungu's era (a former governor of Katanga province charged with the massive expulsion of the Kasai local residents in 1992 and the ensuing massacres)' a new genocide is in gestation. The last weekend clashes between the members of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress/Union pour la démocratie et le progrès social (UDPS-Etienne Tshisekedi) and those of the National Union of the Congolese federalists/Union nationale des fédéralistes du Congo (UNAFEC led by Kyungu wa Kumwanza) is an indication.
