Populations are timidly returning to their villages in North Kivu, headlines Le POTENTEL in the middle of its paper, referring to the last weekend clashes between the loyalist troops and the dissident elements of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC). Official sources echoed by the paper indicate, "The attackers are allegedly the troops loyal to the ex-General Nkunda, a Congolese of Tutsi origin, against whom an international arrest warrant was issued." L'AVENIR sees the hand of Ugandan and Rwandan leaders behind the attack on the blue helmets and the North Kivu clashes since they "use the rebel movements to undermine the DRC transition, notably the electoral process." The situation in eastern DRC "The Giant with Feet of Clay," reports LE PALMARES in its editorial, highlighting that "Any adventurer can stop the ongoing electoral process (...) unless the army integration issue is seriously addressed." Besides the clashes, DRC press is concerned about the security of the polls due between Mars and June 2006 and the option for the deployment of European troops. Germany says no to DRC headlines LE PALMARES, alluding to the possible deployment of European troops in the DRC to secure the elections. Berlin will not contribute its troops, writes LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES, adding, "Angela Merkel's administration no longer considers Africa to be a zone of intervention".

"We are obliged to note that the new troubles in eastern DRC occur at a time when the electoral process must have cleared the obstacle over UDPS implication," writes Le PHARE, indicating, The obstacle has resurfaced!, referring to the electoral calendar issue reviewed yesterday by the International Committee for the Follow-up of the Transition with the presidential circle. According to LE PHARE, "the meeting did not tackle the core issues expected by the Congolese people." LE POTENTIEL, for its part, says the meeting was decisive insofar as it helped lift "the basic options." Solutions to UDPS request are underway, referring to the reopening of identification and registration stations. UDPS, the key political opposition party in DRC might be asked to indicate where they would like the identification and registration stations to be reopened once the President authorizes the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to reopen them. The advantage with the last option is that "the institutional players would not give the impression of having acted under the dictation of the International Community," argues LE PHARE.

If deep divergences persist over a reply to UDPS, LE POTENTIEL however highlights, "we are slowly but surely moving nearer to the d-date," the elections; LE PALMARES, for its part, recalls the importance of the draft electoral law that must be swiftly adopted and promulgated "to avoid taking the electoral process and calendar hostage." Whilst proceedings are ongoing at the parliament over the draft electoral law, LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES reveals that proceedings have come up against a stumbling block, i.e, the security amount to be remitted by the candidates for the elections. Civil society proposes a half-way solution,! Says the paper. The government proposed "US$ 20,000" as security fund to be remitted by the candidates for the presidential polls – proposal which "is severely criticized by analysts of the (...) economic situation given the fact that the huge majority of the Congolese people cannot afford due to the poverty caused by bad governance." DRC's non-aligned civil society wing proposes that the electoral law include "eligibility criteria" such as "intellectual background and political experience."