UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
6 Mar
2009
Press Review
Various subjects relating to the DRC transition are in the spotlight of today's local press, notably the adoption of the law on nationality by National Assembly.
Last Saturday plenary of the Transitional Parliament's Lower House adopted the draft law on the Congolese nationality. FORUM DES AS highlights that the draft law sparked off several reactions from MPs at its adoption. Lower House members were divided over two major points: original nationality contained in articles 1 and 6 of the draft law acknowledging the Congolese nationality to ''any people belonging to the ethnic groups making Congo (currently the DRC) at its independence''. The second point having divided MPs was the statement that one must not have the Congolese nationality concurrently with another, the paper says, indicating that ''for some MPs, prior to giving Congolese nationality to a foreigner, the latter must produce proof that he has abandoned/forsaken his previous nationality''. However, the amendment to this clause did not include the above statement when the law was adopted; ''MPs gave priority to reason and appeasement when ratifying the options lifted during the Inter Congolese talks'', thereby avoiding to fall into ''the Banyamulenge's traps''.
L'AVENIR points out that the National Assembly voted the law on nationality ''amidst discontent'' and indicates that Maï-Maï MPs walked out of the plenary ''to protest the selling-off of the Congolese nationality''. The paper considers that the first article of the draft law granting nationality to ''all the ethnical groups and people of different nationalities living in Congo, renamed DRC, at the independence time'', contains a trap. L'AVENIR says several MPs were of the opinion that the clause had to be entirely pruned, ''in light of the ambiguity and confusion around the terms ethnic groups and nationalities''.
While the adoption of the law on nationality is applauded, LE PHARE has raised another flaw in the draft Constitution of the Third Republic. The paper says that members of the senate's commission tasked to frame the first draft of the 3rd Republic's constitution ''are dragging their feet instead of working effectively''. Due to unclear reasons, the paper writes, the commission's members have reportedly refused to work in Kinshasa arguing that they would feel safer in the hinterland, more particularly in Kisangani. The paper says the whole last week; '' there was a serious showdown between donors and Senate members working for the commission tasked to frame the constitution''. The latter submitted an exaggerated budget for their mission in Kisangani, which the donors dismissed. Fortunately, after harsh negotiations, ''the South African NGO known as EISA immediately disbursed the fund for the mission's accommodation''.
DRC-Rwanda Verification Mechanism will be operational as of October. The announcement is made by L'OBSERVATEUR which recalls that in the margin of the 59th session of the UN General Assembly, Rwanda and DRC governments decided to launch a joint Verification Mechanism (MCV), a technical body including experts from both governments, the United Nations and the African Union tasked to deal with security issues along the border between the DRC and Rwanda.
Commenting the same issue, LE PALMARES says that DRC was ''misled'' in the agreement. According to the paper, American State Department's objective was to secure 200 million dollars for Rwanda. ''To this end, they needed a document that would help them to overcome the US congress' reticence which may argue that the money would be used to purchase weapons for war on the DRC'', the paper writes, highlighting that the agreement having put in place the joint verification mechanism is just ''a loyalty deal stipulating that Rwanda will not use the American tax payers' money to invade the DRC''.
In another development, LE PHARE reports that President Kabila has ordered that the 300 Congolese of Tutsi origin who took refuge in Burundi and got stuck in the buffer zone between Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo return to Uvira. ''The region commander, General Mbuza Mabe, is in Uvira since Saturday to carry out the order received from Kinshasa'', the paper says, noting that some 3000 more Congolese refugees of Tutsi origin refused to be transferred to a refugee camp inside Burundi and volunteered to return to the DRC.
The same paper further announces the questioning of ten people, including two persons under the age of 18 in Ituri, with regard to the massacre perpetrated on 20 September near Bunia. ''The news about the arrests is released by MONUC whose peacekeepers participated in the operation led by the local Prosecution's office'', the paper says.
LE POTENTIEL recalls that the DRC crimes-related issue was referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC), stressing that ex-rebels are, at different levels, perpetrated war crimes and crimes against humanity. However, before any ICC's intervention, the government must fulfil a number of preconditions, the paper says, notably ''the adoption and promulgation of the law on the implementation of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, the signing of a cooperation agreement with ICC, the ratification of the agreement on the ICC members' privileges and immunities as well as the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement on the same privileges and immunities''.
L'AVENIR points out that the National Assembly voted the law on nationality ''amidst discontent'' and indicates that Maï-Maï MPs walked out of the plenary ''to protest the selling-off of the Congolese nationality''. The paper considers that the first article of the draft law granting nationality to ''all the ethnical groups and people of different nationalities living in Congo, renamed DRC, at the independence time'', contains a trap. L'AVENIR says several MPs were of the opinion that the clause had to be entirely pruned, ''in light of the ambiguity and confusion around the terms ethnic groups and nationalities''.
While the adoption of the law on nationality is applauded, LE PHARE has raised another flaw in the draft Constitution of the Third Republic. The paper says that members of the senate's commission tasked to frame the first draft of the 3rd Republic's constitution ''are dragging their feet instead of working effectively''. Due to unclear reasons, the paper writes, the commission's members have reportedly refused to work in Kinshasa arguing that they would feel safer in the hinterland, more particularly in Kisangani. The paper says the whole last week; '' there was a serious showdown between donors and Senate members working for the commission tasked to frame the constitution''. The latter submitted an exaggerated budget for their mission in Kisangani, which the donors dismissed. Fortunately, after harsh negotiations, ''the South African NGO known as EISA immediately disbursed the fund for the mission's accommodation''.
DRC-Rwanda Verification Mechanism will be operational as of October. The announcement is made by L'OBSERVATEUR which recalls that in the margin of the 59th session of the UN General Assembly, Rwanda and DRC governments decided to launch a joint Verification Mechanism (MCV), a technical body including experts from both governments, the United Nations and the African Union tasked to deal with security issues along the border between the DRC and Rwanda.
Commenting the same issue, LE PALMARES says that DRC was ''misled'' in the agreement. According to the paper, American State Department's objective was to secure 200 million dollars for Rwanda. ''To this end, they needed a document that would help them to overcome the US congress' reticence which may argue that the money would be used to purchase weapons for war on the DRC'', the paper writes, highlighting that the agreement having put in place the joint verification mechanism is just ''a loyalty deal stipulating that Rwanda will not use the American tax payers' money to invade the DRC''.
In another development, LE PHARE reports that President Kabila has ordered that the 300 Congolese of Tutsi origin who took refuge in Burundi and got stuck in the buffer zone between Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo return to Uvira. ''The region commander, General Mbuza Mabe, is in Uvira since Saturday to carry out the order received from Kinshasa'', the paper says, noting that some 3000 more Congolese refugees of Tutsi origin refused to be transferred to a refugee camp inside Burundi and volunteered to return to the DRC.
The same paper further announces the questioning of ten people, including two persons under the age of 18 in Ituri, with regard to the massacre perpetrated on 20 September near Bunia. ''The news about the arrests is released by MONUC whose peacekeepers participated in the operation led by the local Prosecution's office'', the paper says.
LE POTENTIEL recalls that the DRC crimes-related issue was referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC), stressing that ex-rebels are, at different levels, perpetrated war crimes and crimes against humanity. However, before any ICC's intervention, the government must fulfil a number of preconditions, the paper says, notably ''the adoption and promulgation of the law on the implementation of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, the signing of a cooperation agreement with ICC, the ratification of the agreement on the ICC members' privileges and immunities as well as the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement on the same privileges and immunities''.
