UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
5 Mar
2009
Press Review
The message issued by the International Committee for the Support of the Transition (CIAT) on the occasion of the 1st anniversary of the signing of the All-inclusive Agreement and the subsequent developments on the Sunday events in Kinshasa feature high in today's local papers.
''A year later, the objectives set by the Transition are still far from being attained'', indicates LA REFERRENCE PLUS, summing up the message of the International Committee for the Support of the Transition (CIAT) reminding the signatories of the All-Inclusive Agreement of the commitments they solemnly made on 2 April 2003 in Sun City, South Africa. Among other things, the commitments state: '' to respect the compulsory and binding nature of the 36 resolutions of the Inter-Congolese Dialogue...to refrain from initiatives and attitudes contrary to the principles included in the All-Inclusive Agreements...to put in place the Transitional Government...''. A year later, the CIAT ''is pleased to note that the process actually got off the ground and that all the players have declared themselves determined to carry it through as agreed'', reports the paper, however noting that '' the main objectives set by the transition are still far from being attained while there are only fifteen months left before the elections''. The CIAT singles out, among other things, insecurity which continues to prevail in the East of the country, massive violations of Human rights, the delay in the reunification at the political, administrative and financial levels due to absence of State authority throughout the national territory and the military integration process.
In its message, the CIAT stresses the urgent issues to address for a successful transition, notes L'AVENIR: ''the putting in place of the territorial administration, the appointment of managing directors for Government-owned firms, the appointment of diplomats, the putting in place of the military structures and the making of organic laws on the independent electoral commission'', indicates the paper.
LE PHARE feels that the message comes in ''amidst a fever pitched climate'' with the Sunday attacks on Kinshasa, and is nothing more than a reminder. ''It is also a warning to those who feel that the international community would give its approval to a coup in the DRC'', writes the paper, recalling that for the CIAT '' there isn't any other alternative but to accept the agreed process''.
Most of today's papers also publish the 15th report of the United Nations Secretary-General on the ongoing situation in Democratic Republic of Congo. LE PALMARES refers to ''a damning report issued by Kofi Annan on the situation in the DRC''. LE PHARE notes that Kofi Annan is concerned about '' the reinforcement of the factions within the transitional government, the persistence of barbaric acts on civilians, the re-emergence of armed groups in the North East and attacks on the UN Mission''.
The ''Heavenly Army/L'Armée Céleste'' that organised the coup responds to the Government and claims responsibility for the Sunday shoot-out, reveals LE PALMARES, referring to the Sunday events in Kinshasa. The paper indicates that the assailants, ''an amorphous grouping by the name of Armée Céleste/Heavenly Army'', ''have claimed responsibility for the shoot-out that threw Kinshasa into turmoil''. According to the paper, the Armée Céleste is one of the lobbying groups set up by the ex-Faz (Forces armées zaïroises) that found refuge in Brazzaville after the fall of Mobutu. ''The Armée céleste is made up of embittered ex-Faz elements who will do anything to recover their lost privileges'', adds the paper.
Referring to relations between Kinshasa and Brazzaville, LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES reports that two facts have aggravated the already tense relations between both countries. The first is, the publication of a communiqué issued by the ex-Faz claiming responsibility for the Sunday attacks perpetrated from Brazzaville. The second fact occurred Tuesday when a group of 6 GSSP (Groupe spécial de la sécurité présidentielle/Special Unit for presidential security) heavily armed military members entered one of the diplomatic residences of the Republic of Congo ''to intimidate the 30 occupants of the residence''.
About the Sunday events, ''MONUC welcomes the putting in place of an inter-ministerial board of enquiry tasked to bring about the truth regarding the Sunday events'', reports LE PHARE, echoing the news conference held Wednesday by the MONUC spokesman. The paper also mentions the role of the Neutral Force during the events and notes that ''MONUC stepped-up its patrols from the airport to the town centre as well as in several districts in the town, and kept under control some strategic points in the city''.
MONUC never received assailants in its headquarters, reports LA REFERENCE PLUS. ''The only injured element assisted by MONUC on a humanitarian basis was found at the level of the Forescom round-point and was hereafter handed over to the Congolese authorities'', indicates the paper, quoting MONUC spokesman.
Furthermore, LE PHARE echoes the report of the DDRRR operations and indicates that 10,468 Rwandan, Ugandan and Burundian ex-combatants returned home. '' In spite of this performance, MONUC announces that there are still 8 to 10,000 foreign ex-combatants in the DRC''.
A new MONUC initiative, a medical barge will be launched on 2 April to assist the fluvial health zones, announces L'AVENIR. '' The objective is to identify the health problems in the zones of Ingende, Wema, Bokungu, Mondombe, Kwamouth and Yumbi'', indicates the paper, adding that the medical barge is loaded with four tonnes of medicines.
In its message, the CIAT stresses the urgent issues to address for a successful transition, notes L'AVENIR: ''the putting in place of the territorial administration, the appointment of managing directors for Government-owned firms, the appointment of diplomats, the putting in place of the military structures and the making of organic laws on the independent electoral commission'', indicates the paper.
LE PHARE feels that the message comes in ''amidst a fever pitched climate'' with the Sunday attacks on Kinshasa, and is nothing more than a reminder. ''It is also a warning to those who feel that the international community would give its approval to a coup in the DRC'', writes the paper, recalling that for the CIAT '' there isn't any other alternative but to accept the agreed process''.
Most of today's papers also publish the 15th report of the United Nations Secretary-General on the ongoing situation in Democratic Republic of Congo. LE PALMARES refers to ''a damning report issued by Kofi Annan on the situation in the DRC''. LE PHARE notes that Kofi Annan is concerned about '' the reinforcement of the factions within the transitional government, the persistence of barbaric acts on civilians, the re-emergence of armed groups in the North East and attacks on the UN Mission''.
The ''Heavenly Army/L'Armée Céleste'' that organised the coup responds to the Government and claims responsibility for the Sunday shoot-out, reveals LE PALMARES, referring to the Sunday events in Kinshasa. The paper indicates that the assailants, ''an amorphous grouping by the name of Armée Céleste/Heavenly Army'', ''have claimed responsibility for the shoot-out that threw Kinshasa into turmoil''. According to the paper, the Armée Céleste is one of the lobbying groups set up by the ex-Faz (Forces armées zaïroises) that found refuge in Brazzaville after the fall of Mobutu. ''The Armée céleste is made up of embittered ex-Faz elements who will do anything to recover their lost privileges'', adds the paper.
Referring to relations between Kinshasa and Brazzaville, LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES reports that two facts have aggravated the already tense relations between both countries. The first is, the publication of a communiqué issued by the ex-Faz claiming responsibility for the Sunday attacks perpetrated from Brazzaville. The second fact occurred Tuesday when a group of 6 GSSP (Groupe spécial de la sécurité présidentielle/Special Unit for presidential security) heavily armed military members entered one of the diplomatic residences of the Republic of Congo ''to intimidate the 30 occupants of the residence''.
About the Sunday events, ''MONUC welcomes the putting in place of an inter-ministerial board of enquiry tasked to bring about the truth regarding the Sunday events'', reports LE PHARE, echoing the news conference held Wednesday by the MONUC spokesman. The paper also mentions the role of the Neutral Force during the events and notes that ''MONUC stepped-up its patrols from the airport to the town centre as well as in several districts in the town, and kept under control some strategic points in the city''.
MONUC never received assailants in its headquarters, reports LA REFERENCE PLUS. ''The only injured element assisted by MONUC on a humanitarian basis was found at the level of the Forescom round-point and was hereafter handed over to the Congolese authorities'', indicates the paper, quoting MONUC spokesman.
Furthermore, LE PHARE echoes the report of the DDRRR operations and indicates that 10,468 Rwandan, Ugandan and Burundian ex-combatants returned home. '' In spite of this performance, MONUC announces that there are still 8 to 10,000 foreign ex-combatants in the DRC''.
A new MONUC initiative, a medical barge will be launched on 2 April to assist the fluvial health zones, announces L'AVENIR. '' The objective is to identify the health problems in the zones of Ingende, Wema, Bokungu, Mondombe, Kwamouth and Yumbi'', indicates the paper, adding that the medical barge is loaded with four tonnes of medicines.
