UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
4 Mar
2009
Press Review
Today's papers focus on Tuesday's threat by the Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD) to withdraw from the government and other transitional institutions. Some papers also raise the security situation in Ituri.
The headline in La Tempête des Tropiques reads: «Transition: another unnecessary crisis». With this headline, the paper fears that the RCD's and allies' decision to boycott the transitional institutions' meetings, on Tuesday, may have a « disastrous effect on the rest of a hardly secured democratization process at the end of bitter inter-Congolese political talks. » During a news conference, the RCD and its allies «denounced, in the strongest terms, the abduction of Major Joseph Kasongo who served as second-in-command of the 7th Brigade's Military Intelligence unit in the former RCD national Army based in Kisangani. He was arrested by the 10th military region commander in South Kivu, Brigadier general Prospère Nabyolwa, acting on president Joseph Kabila's orders". For the RCD and its allies, Major Kasongo was arrested under «a fallacious arguments of detention of weapons of war, and supposedly sentenced to death for the assassination of president Laurent- Désiré Kabila, by a military Court. »
Le Potentiel relates how it happened: «The event took place in Bukavu on the morning of Saturday 21 February. At 13 hours local time, General Nabyolwa launched search operations in the residences of two of his officers suspected of hiding stocks of military hardware. Indeed the military region's commander and his investigators found a large quantity of weapons and ammunitions in Colonel Bahati's residence but the latter is reported missing.
The second search operation was also successful, General Nabyolwa found an important stockpile of arms and ammunitions, but unlike the first, found the occupant of the residence, Major Kasongo; he ordered his immediate arrest... On Monday morning, a special jet flew from Kinshasa, without the knowledge of the province Governor, to fetch Major Kasongo and bring him to Kinshasa, where, according to an RCD spokesman, he was thrown in a Demiap (Military Intelligence Service) detention cell. The news of Major Kasongo's transfer spread throughout Bukavu and threw police quarters into unrest. For the Major's comrade-in-arms, it is a kidnapping, a real act of banditry, unworthy of the Rule of Law. This led to punitive strikes and shootings on General Nabyolwa's residence, who is missing since then, after two of his troops got killed... »
« Shots were heard in Bukavu: General Nabyolwa (is) reported missing», confirms Le Phare, further indicating: «The cabinet meeting convened yesterday afternoon was reported sine die. » La Tempête des Tropiques says: « In lieu of a cabinet meeting, there was a meeting of the presidential circle's players. » Major Kasongo was released and handed over to MONUC yesterday evening. «Allowing his members and close allies to take it out on president Kabila, Azarias Ruberwa has sanctioned blackmail against the president», says Forum des As.
As a result the entire press was alarmed: « Transition in danger», writes L'Avenir. Headlines in La Référence Plus read «Transition in a deadlock». «The crisis! », exclaims Le Phare.
« Is the worst ahead or behind us? », wonders L'Observateur, alluding to the situation in Ituri. The paper reports « Ituri warlords held a conclave in Uganda last week during which they decided to create a political and military coalition in order to make their claims on their participation in the management of the transition heard. » For the paper, «The Uganda conclave should be regarded as a new order conducive to either the improvement or the worsening of the situation in Ituri.
Concurring sources report that the UPC (Union des patriotes congolais) led by Thomas Lubanga is not part of this coalition. The same sources indicate a possible split within this movement that could lead to the creation of two antagonistic wings: a pro-Thomas Lubanga wing, visibly favorable to political negotiations and another radical, pro-Bosco wing.»
In the conclusion of its analysis: « It seems that in the next few days, Mr. Swing, the head of MONUC, might stay for three months in that part of the country. Should this be confirmed, the initiative would be an important decision through which Mr. Swing makes it clear to each and every one in Ituri or elsewhere, that nothing will ever be the same. Let us wait and see», highlights L'Observateur.
Le Potentiel relates how it happened: «The event took place in Bukavu on the morning of Saturday 21 February. At 13 hours local time, General Nabyolwa launched search operations in the residences of two of his officers suspected of hiding stocks of military hardware. Indeed the military region's commander and his investigators found a large quantity of weapons and ammunitions in Colonel Bahati's residence but the latter is reported missing.
The second search operation was also successful, General Nabyolwa found an important stockpile of arms and ammunitions, but unlike the first, found the occupant of the residence, Major Kasongo; he ordered his immediate arrest... On Monday morning, a special jet flew from Kinshasa, without the knowledge of the province Governor, to fetch Major Kasongo and bring him to Kinshasa, where, according to an RCD spokesman, he was thrown in a Demiap (Military Intelligence Service) detention cell. The news of Major Kasongo's transfer spread throughout Bukavu and threw police quarters into unrest. For the Major's comrade-in-arms, it is a kidnapping, a real act of banditry, unworthy of the Rule of Law. This led to punitive strikes and shootings on General Nabyolwa's residence, who is missing since then, after two of his troops got killed... »
« Shots were heard in Bukavu: General Nabyolwa (is) reported missing», confirms Le Phare, further indicating: «The cabinet meeting convened yesterday afternoon was reported sine die. » La Tempête des Tropiques says: « In lieu of a cabinet meeting, there was a meeting of the presidential circle's players. » Major Kasongo was released and handed over to MONUC yesterday evening. «Allowing his members and close allies to take it out on president Kabila, Azarias Ruberwa has sanctioned blackmail against the president», says Forum des As.
As a result the entire press was alarmed: « Transition in danger», writes L'Avenir. Headlines in La Référence Plus read «Transition in a deadlock». «The crisis! », exclaims Le Phare.
« Is the worst ahead or behind us? », wonders L'Observateur, alluding to the situation in Ituri. The paper reports « Ituri warlords held a conclave in Uganda last week during which they decided to create a political and military coalition in order to make their claims on their participation in the management of the transition heard. » For the paper, «The Uganda conclave should be regarded as a new order conducive to either the improvement or the worsening of the situation in Ituri.
Concurring sources report that the UPC (Union des patriotes congolais) led by Thomas Lubanga is not part of this coalition. The same sources indicate a possible split within this movement that could lead to the creation of two antagonistic wings: a pro-Thomas Lubanga wing, visibly favorable to political negotiations and another radical, pro-Bosco wing.»
In the conclusion of its analysis: « It seems that in the next few days, Mr. Swing, the head of MONUC, might stay for three months in that part of the country. Should this be confirmed, the initiative would be an important decision through which Mr. Swing makes it clear to each and every one in Ituri or elsewhere, that nothing will ever be the same. Let us wait and see», highlights L'Observateur.
