UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
10 Mar
2009
Press Review of 25 August 2005
MONUC's last weekly news conference and the voter identification and registration operations in the provinces are the main focus of today's local press. The papers also touch on the upcoming visit by the European Union's Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs to the DRC.
'MONUC Launches Robust Military Operation in Ituri', says Le Potentiel. The pro-opposition paper quotes MONUC Military Spokesman, Lieutenant-colonel Thierry Provendier as declaring, 'The operation is conducted with five combat companies, and aims at maintaining pressure on the aggressors who keep operating in the region.' This major military operation is launched at a time when 'MONUC is in the process of deploying two military companies to Katanga,' says L'Avenir. 'North and South Kivus Brigades will continue to persuade FDLR to accept their voluntary disarmament,' says Le Phare. L'Avenir, pro-PPRD paper, for its part, says, 'Security issue in the DRC, notably the securing of the voter identification and registration operations is giving serious cause for concern to MONUC.' La Tempête des Tropiques recalls, 'It is the Congolese Armed Forces responsibility to secure the voter identification and registration centres and the DRC Police Force responsibility to secure the immediate surroundings of the 9,238 voter identification and registration offices across the DRC territory,' further says Le Potentiel, echoing Lieutenant-colonel Provendier.
L'Avenir reports, 'in the meantime, ten thousand (voters) have been identified and registered in Goma within three days, thus bringing the total number of all those registered in DRC since 20 June 2005 up to 5,491,291." La Référence Plus, an independent paper, brings up 'difficulties of various nature faced by the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI): shortage of identification cards, power generators that often break down' one kit by voter identification and registration centre.' In this respect, La Tempête des Tropiques announces, 'Louis Michel is coming to DRC to see for himself the difficulties mentioned ('). He is expected in DRC on 28 August.' The paper further says, 'The European commission for humanitarian affairs is due to visit several parts of the DRC to have an idea of the ongoing preparations for the upcoming elections.' Le Phare refers to the visit as a 'commando mission (') in a hostile environment,' adding, 'especially since the slippages in the voter identification and registration operations call for an electoral compromise and a reorientation of the second half of the transition.'
The headline in Le Potentiel read: 'Half of Army Troops Fictitious.' The paper says, 'MONUC counted 152,000 troops instead of the 350,000 reported by the Transition Government.' There is therefore 'need for investigations,' says the paper in so far as 'MONUC (is) determined to manage the US$ 8 million allocated to FARDC,' says Le Palmarès, highlighting, 'As of now MONUC and CIAT will manage the payment of DRC troops wages.'
L'Avenir reports, 'in the meantime, ten thousand (voters) have been identified and registered in Goma within three days, thus bringing the total number of all those registered in DRC since 20 June 2005 up to 5,491,291." La Référence Plus, an independent paper, brings up 'difficulties of various nature faced by the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI): shortage of identification cards, power generators that often break down' one kit by voter identification and registration centre.' In this respect, La Tempête des Tropiques announces, 'Louis Michel is coming to DRC to see for himself the difficulties mentioned ('). He is expected in DRC on 28 August.' The paper further says, 'The European commission for humanitarian affairs is due to visit several parts of the DRC to have an idea of the ongoing preparations for the upcoming elections.' Le Phare refers to the visit as a 'commando mission (') in a hostile environment,' adding, 'especially since the slippages in the voter identification and registration operations call for an electoral compromise and a reorientation of the second half of the transition.'
The headline in Le Potentiel read: 'Half of Army Troops Fictitious.' The paper says, 'MONUC counted 152,000 troops instead of the 350,000 reported by the Transition Government.' There is therefore 'need for investigations,' says the paper in so far as 'MONUC (is) determined to manage the US$ 8 million allocated to FARDC,' says Le Palmarès, highlighting, 'As of now MONUC and CIAT will manage the payment of DRC troops wages.'
