UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
10 Mar
2009
Press Review of 19 August 2005
Most of the local papers today report on the press breakfast held yesterday by MONUC chief, Mr. William Swing with the Kinshasa-based daily editors. The press also raises the aborted return of the elements of the former Zairian armed forces from Brazzaville.
'William Swing conferred yesterday with the heads of the local press in Kinshasa at MONUC headquarters,' reports L'Avenir, highlighting that 'he explained at length the UN Mission's mandate in the DRC, [declaring that], DRC is one of the worst tragedies in the world with over 3 million dead.' It was an opportunity for the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for the DRC to 'brief the press on MONUC activities [and to evoke] the prospects [offered] to the DRC,' adds Le Potentiel. 'For two hours, MONUC Chief endeavoured to explain the hopes and realities of peace building in the DRC,' further says Le Phare. Hope, since 'the elections will help the DRC stimulate its growth and trigger its integral development, thanks to its geo-strategic position, and more particularly its huge human and natural potentials,' explains L'Observateur [pro-PPRD paper], echoing MONUC chief, William Swing. It is for this very reason that MONUC 'has been making huge efforts in various areas,' underscores Le Potentiel, amongst others, securing 'people and their properties,' mentions L'Observateur. That is the reason why 'the UN mission is particularly based in the East of the country, more precisely in Ituri, North Kivu, and in South Kivu where are concentrated the armed gangs that are spreading terror there,' explains L'Observateur. MONUC has not got 'enough troops in regard of its size,' notes L'Avenir. 'The DRC, 22 times larger than Liberia has, however, almost as many troops as the DRC, say, 16,000,' highlights L'Avenir, echoing MONUC chief. That is why, 'Sometimes, Congolese people's expectations from MONUC may appear disproportionate,' reports La Référence Plus. However, 'MONUC is doing everything in its power to protect the Congolese people,' notes La Référence Plus, an independent paper.
In other developments, the return of the elements of the former Zairian armed forces scheduled for yesterday did not happen. 'The former FAZ elements, accompanied by their spouses and children effectively stormed the Brazzaville beach hoping that they would travel to Kinshasa which they left after the fall of Mobutu's regime on 17 May 1997,' reports La Tempête des Tropiques. 'DRC immigration service prevented them for not having received any notification concerning their return,' explains the paper. 'Congolese government officials, for their part, declared they were not informed of the operation,' further indicates Le Palmarès. Therefore, 'around noon, the exiled were obliged by the security officers to leave the beach and return to their residences,' mentions La Tempête des Tropiques. This means, 'such an operation could not be initiated without any prior meeting by relevant authorities to harmonise their views on the repatriation operation so as to comply with the international norms in this regard,' estimates La Tempête des Tropiques.
Until the 'case' of the officers of the former Zairian armed forces is settled, 'the minister in charge of regional cooperation denounces differences of views within the [Congolese] government in addressing the issue on the Rwandan rebels in DRC, alluding to the FDLR Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda,' reveals Le Potentiel. In simple terms, 'the minister deplores a diversity of languages within the government,' further says the paper. Moreover, 'to date no large scale military action has been conducted against FDLR, in spite of the fact that MONUC has called for an action from the Congolese government and assured it of its support as it happened with the Ugandan rebels in the East' notes Le Potentiel [pro opposition]. 'It is, either Kigali that continues creating rebels in order to avoid being short of arguments and justify its threats or on the contrary, a complicity from some DRC government officials in Kinshasa who are drawing huge benefits out of FDLR's presence in DRC,' wonders Le Potentiel.
In Kisantu, ' First clashing notes', already reported, in the negotiations between the government and teachers, reports Le Palmarès. The reason' 'For the government, the question is about renegotiating Mbudi to make it more realistic according to the available financial means. For the teachers' unions, on the contrary, renegotiating Mbudi is out of the question, rather practical modalities for its gradual implementation must be established,' explains Le Palmarès, a pro-opposition paper.
In other developments, the return of the elements of the former Zairian armed forces scheduled for yesterday did not happen. 'The former FAZ elements, accompanied by their spouses and children effectively stormed the Brazzaville beach hoping that they would travel to Kinshasa which they left after the fall of Mobutu's regime on 17 May 1997,' reports La Tempête des Tropiques. 'DRC immigration service prevented them for not having received any notification concerning their return,' explains the paper. 'Congolese government officials, for their part, declared they were not informed of the operation,' further indicates Le Palmarès. Therefore, 'around noon, the exiled were obliged by the security officers to leave the beach and return to their residences,' mentions La Tempête des Tropiques. This means, 'such an operation could not be initiated without any prior meeting by relevant authorities to harmonise their views on the repatriation operation so as to comply with the international norms in this regard,' estimates La Tempête des Tropiques.
Until the 'case' of the officers of the former Zairian armed forces is settled, 'the minister in charge of regional cooperation denounces differences of views within the [Congolese] government in addressing the issue on the Rwandan rebels in DRC, alluding to the FDLR Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda,' reveals Le Potentiel. In simple terms, 'the minister deplores a diversity of languages within the government,' further says the paper. Moreover, 'to date no large scale military action has been conducted against FDLR, in spite of the fact that MONUC has called for an action from the Congolese government and assured it of its support as it happened with the Ugandan rebels in the East' notes Le Potentiel [pro opposition]. 'It is, either Kigali that continues creating rebels in order to avoid being short of arguments and justify its threats or on the contrary, a complicity from some DRC government officials in Kinshasa who are drawing huge benefits out of FDLR's presence in DRC,' wonders Le Potentiel.
In Kisantu, ' First clashing notes', already reported, in the negotiations between the government and teachers, reports Le Palmarès. The reason' 'For the government, the question is about renegotiating Mbudi to make it more realistic according to the available financial means. For the teachers' unions, on the contrary, renegotiating Mbudi is out of the question, rather practical modalities for its gradual implementation must be established,' explains Le Palmarès, a pro-opposition paper.
