UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
6 Mar
2009
Press Review
President Joseph Kabila's Appointment of Antoine Ghonda, the former Foreign Affairs Minister from the MLC component as Roving Ambassador sparked off comments from the various local papers published today in Kinshasa. The papers also comment on the DRC electoral process, more particularly the mode of census retained by the Independent Electoral Commission 'CEI'.
Antoine Ghonda appointed roving ambassador by President Joseph Kabila, L'OBSERVATEUR announces, adding that the former minister of foreign affairs has made a comeback to the Congolese political scene as a close aid to President Joseph Kabila.
Having joined ''Joseph Kabila's camp'', Antoine Ghonda is no longer part of MLC 'Mouvement de Libération du Congo', L'AVENIR says, indicating that MLC sacked the former minister for ''being discourteous to its sponsor as a rebel movement, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni''.
FORUM DES AS confirms ''a complete break-up'' between Jean-Pierre Bemba (MLC leader) and Antoine Ghonda. The paper further says that Ghonda's nomination as ambassador by President Kabila ''proves that the young diplomat is no longer in on MLC leader, Jean-Pierre Bemba's secrets after being sacked by the latter the way he did''.
LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES highlights that if Antoine Ghonda has actually left MLC for the PPRD, Jean-Pierre Bemba's party will face serious troubles in the Bas Congo, Mr. Ghonda's native populous province that only swears by his name.
MLC made a ''strongly-worded'' reaction following ''Antoine Ghonda's integration'' into President Kabila's party known as PPRD, LE PALMARES reports, indicating that the communiqué signed by MLC Executive Secretary ''strongly condemned the act which it described as illegal integration, vote-catching and political nomadism''.
The newly appointed itinerant Ambassador has preceded President Kabila in New York to attend the 59th UN General Assembly meeting. LE POTENTIEL underscores that the meeting is decisive for the DRC's future since ''it will definitely decide on MONUC mandate, strength and the international community's contribution towards the formation of an integrated Army and a national police force able to ensure security during electoral operations''. In the margin of the UN General Assembly, the paper announces some important meetings for DRC's future, especially the meeting of the Foreign Affairs ministers of the member countries to the International support Committee to the Transition known as CIAT and a mini summit between the Congolese and Rwandan presidents, convened by the United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan. The meeting's agenda will include examination of the modalities for the putting-in-place of a joint commission tasked to monitor military movements along DRC and Rwandan border, with Monuc's collaboration, the paper indicates.
Referring to electoral process, LE PHARE expresses serious concerns over the mode of census retained by the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI), indicating that CEI made a wrong choice by opting for voters' census for this mode merely implies voters' identification. What about the foreigners'', the paper wonders. ''The wrong options would not lead to the expected legitimacy'', the paper says. In this regard, L'OBSERVATEUR echoes a declaration made by the head of the CEI, Father Apollinaire Malu Malu, through which he justifies his choice for a voters' census. The head of CEI declared that voters' identification is the most realistic options with regard to the time left.
LE POTENTIEL reports that Ituri former combatants are allegedly reticent to the demobilisation and refusing to lay down their weapons and reintegrate civilian life, within the framework of the Disarmament and Community Reintegration Operation (DRC). Echoing a press release from the French News Agency, the paper says that only one of group of the six operating in the district is apparently willing, the 'Front populaire pour la démocratie au Congo (FPDC)'.
In this context, 150 Un peacekeepers from Nepal were deployed in Aru, a district situated 400 Km North of Bunia. The paper quotes the Director of MONUC in Ituri, Ms Dominique McAdams as declaring that the ''operation fits in with MONUC deployment plan to the areas affected by interethnic, violence since 1999, having left over 50,000 people dead''. It is the first time Monuc troops are deployed in this district having common border with Uganda, the paper highlights.
In another news, LA REFERENCE PLUS quotes lawyers as declaring that the transfer of 18 prisoners from Ituri to Kinshasa was vitiated by a number of irregularities. According to the paper, the trial of the ''detainees exposed as dreadful criminals'' is likely to disappointing. The paper further denounces the conditions of detention in Kinshasa, which it ''describes as less infrahuman compared to the conditions in MONUC underground prison cells in Bunia''.
Having joined ''Joseph Kabila's camp'', Antoine Ghonda is no longer part of MLC 'Mouvement de Libération du Congo', L'AVENIR says, indicating that MLC sacked the former minister for ''being discourteous to its sponsor as a rebel movement, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni''.
FORUM DES AS confirms ''a complete break-up'' between Jean-Pierre Bemba (MLC leader) and Antoine Ghonda. The paper further says that Ghonda's nomination as ambassador by President Kabila ''proves that the young diplomat is no longer in on MLC leader, Jean-Pierre Bemba's secrets after being sacked by the latter the way he did''.
LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES highlights that if Antoine Ghonda has actually left MLC for the PPRD, Jean-Pierre Bemba's party will face serious troubles in the Bas Congo, Mr. Ghonda's native populous province that only swears by his name.
MLC made a ''strongly-worded'' reaction following ''Antoine Ghonda's integration'' into President Kabila's party known as PPRD, LE PALMARES reports, indicating that the communiqué signed by MLC Executive Secretary ''strongly condemned the act which it described as illegal integration, vote-catching and political nomadism''.
The newly appointed itinerant Ambassador has preceded President Kabila in New York to attend the 59th UN General Assembly meeting. LE POTENTIEL underscores that the meeting is decisive for the DRC's future since ''it will definitely decide on MONUC mandate, strength and the international community's contribution towards the formation of an integrated Army and a national police force able to ensure security during electoral operations''. In the margin of the UN General Assembly, the paper announces some important meetings for DRC's future, especially the meeting of the Foreign Affairs ministers of the member countries to the International support Committee to the Transition known as CIAT and a mini summit between the Congolese and Rwandan presidents, convened by the United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan. The meeting's agenda will include examination of the modalities for the putting-in-place of a joint commission tasked to monitor military movements along DRC and Rwandan border, with Monuc's collaboration, the paper indicates.
Referring to electoral process, LE PHARE expresses serious concerns over the mode of census retained by the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI), indicating that CEI made a wrong choice by opting for voters' census for this mode merely implies voters' identification. What about the foreigners'', the paper wonders. ''The wrong options would not lead to the expected legitimacy'', the paper says. In this regard, L'OBSERVATEUR echoes a declaration made by the head of the CEI, Father Apollinaire Malu Malu, through which he justifies his choice for a voters' census. The head of CEI declared that voters' identification is the most realistic options with regard to the time left.
LE POTENTIEL reports that Ituri former combatants are allegedly reticent to the demobilisation and refusing to lay down their weapons and reintegrate civilian life, within the framework of the Disarmament and Community Reintegration Operation (DRC). Echoing a press release from the French News Agency, the paper says that only one of group of the six operating in the district is apparently willing, the 'Front populaire pour la démocratie au Congo (FPDC)'.
In this context, 150 Un peacekeepers from Nepal were deployed in Aru, a district situated 400 Km North of Bunia. The paper quotes the Director of MONUC in Ituri, Ms Dominique McAdams as declaring that the ''operation fits in with MONUC deployment plan to the areas affected by interethnic, violence since 1999, having left over 50,000 people dead''. It is the first time Monuc troops are deployed in this district having common border with Uganda, the paper highlights.
In another news, LA REFERENCE PLUS quotes lawyers as declaring that the transfer of 18 prisoners from Ituri to Kinshasa was vitiated by a number of irregularities. According to the paper, the trial of the ''detainees exposed as dreadful criminals'' is likely to disappointing. The paper further denounces the conditions of detention in Kinshasa, which it ''describes as less infrahuman compared to the conditions in MONUC underground prison cells in Bunia''.
