UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
6 Mar
2009
Press Review 20 December 2004
Foreign troops' presence in Eastern DRC confirmed by MONUC and the visit of the European Commissioner for Humanitarian Assistance and Development, Louis Michel, are the lead stories in today's local press.
« The UN has confirmed the aggression (of DRC) through MONUC», L'AVENIR writes on its front page, echoing MONUC declaration on the renewed fights in Kanyabayonga. In its 17 December communiqué, 'MONUC hails DRC Government's decision to dispatch an investigation and conciliation mission to Eastern DRC at this critical stage of the transitional process that risks being undermined by the fights in Kanyabayonga'' Moreover, 'MONUC is convinced that foreign troops effectively entered the DRC immediately after Rwanda issued its threats on 23 November. Since the beginning of the crisis, MONUC has intensified its verification missions across North Kivu. These missions confirmed that the insurgents received weapons and reinforcements from abroad».
Le Potentiel refers to MONUC's communiqué as «UN hypocrisy', indicating, 'For several months despite the Congolese government's protests, denouncing repeated Rwandan incursions into DRC territory, MONUC persistently declined to confirm the latter's presence in DRC.' The paper supports its criticisms with the 'renewed fights in Kayna and Nyabiondo'. Besides Kanyabayonga, 'violent clashes were reported on Sunday 6 am (5h00 Universal Time) around Kayna district, 15 km from Kanyabayonga between FARDC reinforcements, from Kisangani Operational HQ (Province Orientale) via Beni (Nord Kivu) and the mutineers of the 8th military region flanked by Rwandan soldiers', Le Potentiel quotes Radio Okapi as reporting. 'MONUC warns insurgent troops and their foreign sponsors', Le Phare titles, highlighting the call by UN Mission 'on the foreign parties engaged in the conflict to stop supporting the insurgent troops' and appeals to the insurgents 'to immediately return to the formal positions they had occupied before the outbreak of hostilities'.
The same paper also writes 'the European Parliament condemns Rwanda's unilateral action.' Le Phare publishes EU's resolution on the DRC situation, 'calling for immediate and unconditional withdrawal of foreign troops from the DRC.' European Parliament 'urges the UN Security Council to urgently envisage a European Union's mission to the DRC, on the Artemis model, to contribute to the restoration of security in Eastern DRC, more particularly along its bordering area between Rwanda and the DRC' and calls for the security council to initiate sanctions such as restrictions of movements, freezing of bank accounts against those having participated to lootings and those who have been disrupting the peace process.
During his official visit to Kinshasa, 'the European Commissioner for Humanitarian Assistance and Development, Louis Michel, pleaded for respect of DRC's territorial integrity and sovereignty', Le Phare reports, echoing Louis Michel's statement after his talks with Etienne Tshisekedi, UDPS leader. 'Number of Louis Michel's interlocutors were surprised by his double message: Elections will not be postponed and the Transition will not be prolonged', reflecting the European Union's determination through the 'assistance it intends to give to the Independent Electoral Commission known as CEI, say, over 80 million Euros following the agreement signed on Saturday''
Le Potentiel refers to MONUC's communiqué as «UN hypocrisy', indicating, 'For several months despite the Congolese government's protests, denouncing repeated Rwandan incursions into DRC territory, MONUC persistently declined to confirm the latter's presence in DRC.' The paper supports its criticisms with the 'renewed fights in Kayna and Nyabiondo'. Besides Kanyabayonga, 'violent clashes were reported on Sunday 6 am (5h00 Universal Time) around Kayna district, 15 km from Kanyabayonga between FARDC reinforcements, from Kisangani Operational HQ (Province Orientale) via Beni (Nord Kivu) and the mutineers of the 8th military region flanked by Rwandan soldiers', Le Potentiel quotes Radio Okapi as reporting. 'MONUC warns insurgent troops and their foreign sponsors', Le Phare titles, highlighting the call by UN Mission 'on the foreign parties engaged in the conflict to stop supporting the insurgent troops' and appeals to the insurgents 'to immediately return to the formal positions they had occupied before the outbreak of hostilities'.
The same paper also writes 'the European Parliament condemns Rwanda's unilateral action.' Le Phare publishes EU's resolution on the DRC situation, 'calling for immediate and unconditional withdrawal of foreign troops from the DRC.' European Parliament 'urges the UN Security Council to urgently envisage a European Union's mission to the DRC, on the Artemis model, to contribute to the restoration of security in Eastern DRC, more particularly along its bordering area between Rwanda and the DRC' and calls for the security council to initiate sanctions such as restrictions of movements, freezing of bank accounts against those having participated to lootings and those who have been disrupting the peace process.
During his official visit to Kinshasa, 'the European Commissioner for Humanitarian Assistance and Development, Louis Michel, pleaded for respect of DRC's territorial integrity and sovereignty', Le Phare reports, echoing Louis Michel's statement after his talks with Etienne Tshisekedi, UDPS leader. 'Number of Louis Michel's interlocutors were surprised by his double message: Elections will not be postponed and the Transition will not be prolonged', reflecting the European Union's determination through the 'assistance it intends to give to the Independent Electoral Commission known as CEI, say, over 80 million Euros following the agreement signed on Saturday''
