Wednesday 16 May local press focused on the extension of MONUC's mandate and the security situation in the East.

"MONUC's mandate has been extended until 31 December 2007 by the UN Security Council based on a 10-page resolution submitted by France and unanimously adopted by the 15 members of the Security Council; Under the resolution, MONUC troops numbering 17,300 troops will remain in place until the indicated date," reports Le Palmarès.

MONUC's mission will, amongst others, consist in "assisting the DRC Government to create a stable and safe environment," says Le Phare.

UN Mission in DRC has decided to "reinforce its military presence in the North Kivu province in the grip of new flare-up of violence having resulted in massive displacement of the local populations," writes Le Phare.

L'Avenir as far as concerned, writes, "Rwanda has accepted to serve as mediator between Kinshasa and the ex-renegade General Laurent N'Kunda."

In this respect, Le Palmarès writes on its front page, "Paul Kagame's surprise comeback to DRC with a new hat of mediator."

"Until when the DRC Government will continue to keep in check the Ex-General Nkunda"? wonders Le Potentiel, indicating, "There has been much talk about a so-called international arrest warrant issued against the renegade Ex-General Laurent N'kunda, accused of mutiny and military occupation of the town of Bukavu on 2 - 9 June 2004; it is unfortunately that the General has never been arrested." "... The international arrest warrant against Nkunda has never been issued," further says the paper, echoing a Government official who attended the cabinet meeting in 2004 that addressed the issue about the renegade General Nkunda and Colonel Mutebusi.

In other news, Le Potentiel reports "the issues on the occupied DRC territory of Kahemba by Angolan troops and the massacres committed by troops in Bas-Congo on the Bundu Dia Congo's members were not addressed by the National Assembly," indicating, "MPs have avoided the Kahemba the issue, knowing that the report addressing this issue had disappeared from the secretariat of the National Assembly."