UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
6 Mar
2009
Press Review 22 September 2004
DRC's participation to the 59th UN General Assembly's session and Government's efforts to end fighting in eastern DRC are the major headlines in today's local papers.
UN General Assembly's debates already started at its headquarters in New York, L'OBSERVATEUR says, indicating that the different delegations attending the session are delivering their messages. In this context, President, Major General Joseph Kabila is due to deliver, DRC message this Wednesday, the paper says, highlighting that this would be a good opportunity for the President to ''voice the DRC's view of the world and to brief the most august assembly on the DRC Transition's process and express his outlook for free and democratic elections in the DRC''. DRC's President will also dwell on security in eastern DRC, the paper further indicates, recalling that in the margin of the assembly, a summit meeting is scheduled to take place between the DRC President and his Rwanda and Uganda's counterparts.
LE PALMARES describes President Paul Kagame's ''last-minute refusal to go to New York'' as a dramatic turn of events and says ''Kigali's strongman will be represented by both his Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs''. The paper further says President Kagame's absence in New York is due to the fact that Georges Bush is too busy with the elections campaigns in the United States'', he cannot currently deal with the African endless squabbling''. Paul Kagame is not the only absent, ''Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni, did not either respond to the United Nations invitation''.
LE PHARE reports that in the margin of the UN sessions, the European Union High Representative for the common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana, reportedly commended South African President, Thabo Mbeki, for the role his country has been playing for the restoration of peace to the Great Lakes. Javier Solana assured South African President of the European Union's determination to work in conjunction with the International Community and African countries for the restoration of peace to the Great Lakes region, the paper says.
European Union further expresses hope that MONUC's mission will be reinforced, LE POTENTIEL says, quoting the chief of Netherlands' diplomacy, Bernard Bot, whose country is now chairing the European Union, as declaring that ''the European Union is for a stronger and clearer MONUC's mandate as well as reinforcement of its means''.
Referring to the DRC elections, LE POTENTIEL says voters' census has been retained amidst transition's prolongation, warning that proceedings on the census at Government's level risks being stormy. The paper recalls that the cabinet meeting due on Monday was mainly going to examine and adopt the basic draft laws, notably the one relating to voters' census. Unfortunately, it was postponed following the death of Vice-President Azarias Ruberwa's father. The paper recalls that voters' census is the option adopted by CEI and backed by the International Support Committee to the Transition (CIAT). The persons eligible for voting are the ones being 18 years old and over at the time of the census. They are estimated at about thirty million of the over 55 million inhabitants.
The FARDC Chief of Staff, General Sylvain Mbuki, is currently on a mission to Goma, the main town of North Kivu, since Monday 20 September 2004, FORUM DES AS reports, echoing UN sources. It also says that ''the purpose of his mission is to facilitate collaboration between the 8th, 9th, and 10th military regions' commanders whose troops are not living harmoniously on the ground''. The paper says that the mission takes place at a time when fighting is reported in Walikale between 8th military region and General Mbuza Mabe's troops. General Mbuki is tasked to ''restore order in the two districts of Kivu seriously destabilised by the unnecessary fighting'', to ''allay suspicions and seal sincere collaboration between military commanders''. A ''difficult'' mission for Sylvain Mbuki, L'AVENIR says, indicating that General Obeid Rwibatshira, 8th military region's commander is allegedly the one who is making things difficult.
Former Roger Lumbala's troops are spreading terror in Oriental province, LA REFERENCE PLUS says, adding that ''the troops allegedly committed looting, wanton destructions and massive human rights violations in Dungu district''.
LE PALMARES describes President Paul Kagame's ''last-minute refusal to go to New York'' as a dramatic turn of events and says ''Kigali's strongman will be represented by both his Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs''. The paper further says President Kagame's absence in New York is due to the fact that Georges Bush is too busy with the elections campaigns in the United States'', he cannot currently deal with the African endless squabbling''. Paul Kagame is not the only absent, ''Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni, did not either respond to the United Nations invitation''.
LE PHARE reports that in the margin of the UN sessions, the European Union High Representative for the common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana, reportedly commended South African President, Thabo Mbeki, for the role his country has been playing for the restoration of peace to the Great Lakes. Javier Solana assured South African President of the European Union's determination to work in conjunction with the International Community and African countries for the restoration of peace to the Great Lakes region, the paper says.
European Union further expresses hope that MONUC's mission will be reinforced, LE POTENTIEL says, quoting the chief of Netherlands' diplomacy, Bernard Bot, whose country is now chairing the European Union, as declaring that ''the European Union is for a stronger and clearer MONUC's mandate as well as reinforcement of its means''.
Referring to the DRC elections, LE POTENTIEL says voters' census has been retained amidst transition's prolongation, warning that proceedings on the census at Government's level risks being stormy. The paper recalls that the cabinet meeting due on Monday was mainly going to examine and adopt the basic draft laws, notably the one relating to voters' census. Unfortunately, it was postponed following the death of Vice-President Azarias Ruberwa's father. The paper recalls that voters' census is the option adopted by CEI and backed by the International Support Committee to the Transition (CIAT). The persons eligible for voting are the ones being 18 years old and over at the time of the census. They are estimated at about thirty million of the over 55 million inhabitants.
The FARDC Chief of Staff, General Sylvain Mbuki, is currently on a mission to Goma, the main town of North Kivu, since Monday 20 September 2004, FORUM DES AS reports, echoing UN sources. It also says that ''the purpose of his mission is to facilitate collaboration between the 8th, 9th, and 10th military regions' commanders whose troops are not living harmoniously on the ground''. The paper says that the mission takes place at a time when fighting is reported in Walikale between 8th military region and General Mbuza Mabe's troops. General Mbuki is tasked to ''restore order in the two districts of Kivu seriously destabilised by the unnecessary fighting'', to ''allay suspicions and seal sincere collaboration between military commanders''. A ''difficult'' mission for Sylvain Mbuki, L'AVENIR says, indicating that General Obeid Rwibatshira, 8th military region's commander is allegedly the one who is making things difficult.
Former Roger Lumbala's troops are spreading terror in Oriental province, LA REFERENCE PLUS says, adding that ''the troops allegedly committed looting, wanton destructions and massive human rights violations in Dungu district''.
