UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
6 Mar
2009
Press Review 23 December 2004
Despite the apparent calm prevailing in North Kivu, there is growing protests against the buffer zone established around Kanyabayonga district. Today's papers broadly comment on the UN peacekeepers' deployment between the FARDC and the mutineers.
Under the title « North Kivu between hope and uncertainty», Le Potentiel is both comforted and sceptical noting, «the appeasement secured following the international pressures on Rwanda as well as the internal effort by the conciliation mission led by Bishop Marini Bodho. » The paper believes that « a compromise will soon be reached, misunderstandings will be laid to rest and consequently the situation will be brought back to normal. » On the other hand, it wonders, « to whom does the M0NUC buffer zone around Kanyabayonga district benefit'» and claims, « in a country such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, where sovereignty and territorial integrity are threatened, creating a buffer zone would ipso facto amount to creating another State within the DRC. In so far as this party would not be subject to any control of the Kinshasa-based government. ». The paper says, « if MONUC intention to intervene between the two belligerents is to restore normalcy through cease-fire, it is however feared that it would pose some problems with regard to the restoration of State and would help the insurgents receive ammunition from Rwanda which MONUC may not have anticipated' »
In the same development, L'AVENIR says, « the new demarcation line fixes the ''Tutsi land'' borders». According to the paper, « the zone was established to meet the requirement of the International Tutsi Power. »
Le Palmarès is rather optimistic, estimating that « far from being an obstacle to the FARDC's action, the initiative aims to ensure that fights have effectively stopped and humanitarian assistance is brought to the population. » MONUC said the establishment of the buffer zone was decided upon consultations with Congolese authorities, the paper recalls, alluding to the mission led by William Swing to North Kivu, which it quotes as declaring Wednesday that it was not opposed to the redeployment of the FARDC troops to Eastern DRC, where 250 Peacekeepers were deploying.
La Référence Plus, in turn, alerts over the finding of a weapons cache in Bukavu indicating, « whilst order is being restored in Kanyabayonga where MONUC imposed a buffer zone, news from South Kivu, notably Bukavu, are rather alarming. A huge weapons cache was discovered in the residence of the Vice-governor in charge of economic and financial matters, Mr. Nziratima ». According to 'corroborating' sources'', «Besides the weapons of war found in the Vice-governor's residence, there were also about thirty soldiers hiding in the residence without the knowing of the 10th military region's authorities. »
Analysing the military situation, Le Phare focuses on « the contribution to the war effort ». According to the paper, « the new war in Eastern DRC visibly demands a lot of foreign money (') Under the guise of the contribution to the war effort, the public firms (the viable ones) have been asked to contribute about 500 000 dollars' ».
In the same development, L'AVENIR says, « the new demarcation line fixes the ''Tutsi land'' borders». According to the paper, « the zone was established to meet the requirement of the International Tutsi Power. »
Le Palmarès is rather optimistic, estimating that « far from being an obstacle to the FARDC's action, the initiative aims to ensure that fights have effectively stopped and humanitarian assistance is brought to the population. » MONUC said the establishment of the buffer zone was decided upon consultations with Congolese authorities, the paper recalls, alluding to the mission led by William Swing to North Kivu, which it quotes as declaring Wednesday that it was not opposed to the redeployment of the FARDC troops to Eastern DRC, where 250 Peacekeepers were deploying.
La Référence Plus, in turn, alerts over the finding of a weapons cache in Bukavu indicating, « whilst order is being restored in Kanyabayonga where MONUC imposed a buffer zone, news from South Kivu, notably Bukavu, are rather alarming. A huge weapons cache was discovered in the residence of the Vice-governor in charge of economic and financial matters, Mr. Nziratima ». According to 'corroborating' sources'', «Besides the weapons of war found in the Vice-governor's residence, there were also about thirty soldiers hiding in the residence without the knowing of the 10th military region's authorities. »
Analysing the military situation, Le Phare focuses on « the contribution to the war effort ». According to the paper, « the new war in Eastern DRC visibly demands a lot of foreign money (') Under the guise of the contribution to the war effort, the public firms (the viable ones) have been asked to contribute about 500 000 dollars' ».
