UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
6 Mar
2009
Press Review 16 December 2004
Today's local papers mainly focus on the DRC political and military situations dominated by the North Kivu war and, amongst others, the reassignment of military regions' commanders, the abortion of the Great Lakes African Heads of States' summit on the Eastern DRC crisis.
L'AVENIR comments on the High Council of Defence meeting chaired by President Kabila in Kinshasa on Wednesday. The meeting assessed the security situation in Eastern DRC, notably the presence of Rwandan troops in DRC, the acceleration of troop-redeployment on the ground to ensure the DRC national integrity, the protection of populations and their properties and the stepping up of the operations aimed at neutralising the Interahamwe in that area, the paper says.
The Press communiqué published in full by the paper says under the constitution, « the council gave green light to the FARDC (DRC Armed Forces) to restore by all means, Government authority across Eastern DRC in general and North Kivu, in particular. »
To this end, the communiqué says, « the High Council of Defence decided the reassignment of the 5th Military Region Commander to Mbuji-Mayi (Kasaï Oriental) and the one of the 8th Military Region to Goma with a view to better organising military operations and ensuring cohesion within the Armed Forces. Reassignments will also take place in other military regions shortly, if needed. »
Upon FARDC chief of staff's recommendation, Brigadier General Obeid Rwibatshira, former the 8th Military Region's commander has been reassigned to the 5th military region. Brigadier General Gabriel Amisi known by the nickname of Tango Fort, former commander of Mbuji-Mayi, has replaced him. « A praiseworthy decision», Le Palmarès says, referring to General Obeid as « the first Kanyabayonga victim ». For L'Observateur, « the reassignments will help establish whether or not Brigadier General Obeid Rwabatshira was conniving with Rwandan troops». Both FARDC Generals are drawn from the RCD/Goma component. L'Observateur is of the opinion that Vice-President Azarias Ruberwa's party « in an embarrassing situation». Will «RCD accept the new line- up' », the paper wonders.
An embarrassing situation in North Kivu that raises several questions! LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES says, we are heading for «a new front in the war». « Kigali is suspected of trying to open a new front through Bukavu », the paper says. With the ongoing clashes in Kanyabayonga, Nord-Kivu, « DRC is faced with a decisive war», Le Potentiel writes, indicating that «violent clashes, with sustained firing from small and heavy weapons resumed on Wednesday at about 5 am in Kanyabayonga district, 160 km of Goma, the administrative town of North-Kivu between Kinshasa FARDC reinforcement troops from Beni and the mutineers of the 8th military region backed the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA), after Tuesday truce following the first clashes that took place on Sunday and Monday. »
Le Phare, in turn, reports the postponement of the Dar es-Salam meeting between the Heads of States of the Great Lakes region on the DRC crisis. « The Heads of States summit scheduled to take place in Dar es-salaam this week-end will no longer take place. Kagame says he is not available», the paper writes. It also says that the former chief of Belgian diplomacy, Louis Michel, recently appointed European Commissioner for development and humanitarian assistance, is due to visit the Great Lakes region this Friday. Kinshasa will be the first leg of his trip. He will afterwards proceed to Kampala, Bujumbura and Kigali.
The paper further announces another meeting between the International Committee supporting the DRC Transition (CIAT) this Thursday and the presidential space. The CIAT and President Joseph Kabila including his four Vice Presidents will discuss the situation in Eastern DRC and the dossier of the suspended ministers, the paper says.
The Press communiqué published in full by the paper says under the constitution, « the council gave green light to the FARDC (DRC Armed Forces) to restore by all means, Government authority across Eastern DRC in general and North Kivu, in particular. »
To this end, the communiqué says, « the High Council of Defence decided the reassignment of the 5th Military Region Commander to Mbuji-Mayi (Kasaï Oriental) and the one of the 8th Military Region to Goma with a view to better organising military operations and ensuring cohesion within the Armed Forces. Reassignments will also take place in other military regions shortly, if needed. »
Upon FARDC chief of staff's recommendation, Brigadier General Obeid Rwibatshira, former the 8th Military Region's commander has been reassigned to the 5th military region. Brigadier General Gabriel Amisi known by the nickname of Tango Fort, former commander of Mbuji-Mayi, has replaced him. « A praiseworthy decision», Le Palmarès says, referring to General Obeid as « the first Kanyabayonga victim ». For L'Observateur, « the reassignments will help establish whether or not Brigadier General Obeid Rwabatshira was conniving with Rwandan troops». Both FARDC Generals are drawn from the RCD/Goma component. L'Observateur is of the opinion that Vice-President Azarias Ruberwa's party « in an embarrassing situation». Will «RCD accept the new line- up' », the paper wonders.
An embarrassing situation in North Kivu that raises several questions! LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES says, we are heading for «a new front in the war». « Kigali is suspected of trying to open a new front through Bukavu », the paper says. With the ongoing clashes in Kanyabayonga, Nord-Kivu, « DRC is faced with a decisive war», Le Potentiel writes, indicating that «violent clashes, with sustained firing from small and heavy weapons resumed on Wednesday at about 5 am in Kanyabayonga district, 160 km of Goma, the administrative town of North-Kivu between Kinshasa FARDC reinforcement troops from Beni and the mutineers of the 8th military region backed the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA), after Tuesday truce following the first clashes that took place on Sunday and Monday. »
Le Phare, in turn, reports the postponement of the Dar es-Salam meeting between the Heads of States of the Great Lakes region on the DRC crisis. « The Heads of States summit scheduled to take place in Dar es-salaam this week-end will no longer take place. Kagame says he is not available», the paper writes. It also says that the former chief of Belgian diplomacy, Louis Michel, recently appointed European Commissioner for development and humanitarian assistance, is due to visit the Great Lakes region this Friday. Kinshasa will be the first leg of his trip. He will afterwards proceed to Kampala, Bujumbura and Kigali.
The paper further announces another meeting between the International Committee supporting the DRC Transition (CIAT) this Thursday and the presidential space. The CIAT and President Joseph Kabila including his four Vice Presidents will discuss the situation in Eastern DRC and the dossier of the suspended ministers, the paper says.
