UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
6 Mar
2009
Press Review
The dominant topic in today's local papers in Kinshasa is the tense debate around RCD's memorandum in yesterday's cabinet meeting during which Vice-President Azarias Ruberwa apologised to President Joseph Kabila.
According to information from ''very reliable sources'' quoted by LE POTENTIEL ''Vice-president Azarias Ruberwa was forced to offer his apologies, on behalf of his party and his own, to President Kabila and the other members of the Transition's institutions''. Mr. Ruberwa ''formally acknowledged that RCD's memorandum conveying its claims on the ongoing process was particularly abusive to both President Joseph Kabila and the other Transition's institutions''. The paper reveals that the cabinet meeting, which began on Monday, was marked by ''verbal clashes caused by RCD's memorandum to all the Transition's institutions containing its conditions''. The paper says the official apologies brought some appeasement to the rest of the cabinet meeting.
Explaining the circumstances having led Vice-president Azarias Ruberwa to apologise, LE PALMARES indicates ''it was the result of strong pressures made by the ministers drawn from PPRD (Parti du Peuple pour la Reconstruction et la Démocratie- close to President Joseph Kabila)''. The paper recalls that in his memorandum, ''Mr. Ruberwa described Joseph Kabila as a genocidaire for having either authorised or facilitated the perpetration of the Gatumba massacre'. In the same memorandum, 'He also described General Mbuja Mabe as the mastermind of the genocide and clamoured for his removal from the tenth military region'', the paper says, further indicating that Vice President Ruberwa also accuses politicians, the press and the army for their ''indescribable fierceness''. Condemning the ''treason and lies contained in the memorandum'', PPRD members reportedly demanded Mr. Ruberwa ''to apologise to the President for having sullied his name'' otherwise his memo ''would be thrown into the dustbin as a useless rag''.
L'AVENIR, for its part, considers that the Human Rights Watch revelations ''cornered'' Mr. Ruberwa whom they obliged to apologise to Joseph Kabila. The paper however feels that this is not enough to ''clear the country of the discredit into which Ruberwa has thrown it''.
Following the Human Rights Watch report that clears them of any responsibility in the Gatumba massacre, the Maï-Maï demand an apology from Ruberwa, FORUM DES AS reports. Members of the Maï-Maï entity were accused by Mr. Azarias Ruberwa of participating in the massacre of the Congolese refugees in Burundi, the paper recalls, highlighting that in the absence of any apology, ''the Maï-Maï Mediation Committee will take the necessary actions to force the Vice-President to stand down''.
Referring to the Human Rights Watch report, LE POTENTIEL says MONUC has declined any comment in this regard. Alluding to Kofi Annan's statement allegedly accusing the Maï-Maï of participating in the Gatumba massacre, the paper echoes the clarification made by MONUC Head of Public Information, Patricia Tomé, indicating ''neither Monuc, nor ONUB, nor yet the UN accused the Maï-Maï of participating in this massacre''.
LE PHARE goes back over the RCD's claims, which it says, ''continues making waves'' and highlighting the 20 most urgent actions proposed by the former rebellion. The paper lays special emphasis on the urgent action concerning ''indiscriminate access to official medias by all political groups''. The paper, for its part, writes, ''our duty as journalists is to provide our compatriots all the necessary information on the ongoing debates that would determine their future and facilitate their choice as a test of their maturity and responsibility which are the cardinal virtues of a well-advised people''.
In another development, the law on nationality has given rise to serious controversy in the Senate, notably the law on the 'immigrants' nationality. This is reported by LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES, which adds that the Parliament's upper chamber and the transition's government, ''recognise only two status concerning the nationality relating issue: the original and the acquired nationalities''. So, to be recognised Congolese, one must ''belong to an ethnical group or tribe or be established in DRC as of 30 June 1960, the independence date of our country'', highlights the Senate. Nationality by integration therefore does not exist, the paper says.
Moreover, in the framework of the reinforcement of MONUC strength, France has demanded 1,600 additional troops and combat helicopters for the UN Mission in DRC, announces LE PHARE, indicating that ''French resolution requests two battalions, that is, about 1,600 troops and 4 additional combat helicopters to be rapidly availed to MONUC, to help cope with any tensions in the DRC''.
The same paper further publishes an open letter addressed to President Kabila by the UPC leader, Thomas Lubanga, calling for an assessment of the Ituri crisis. In his letter, UPC declares having used its own influence to secure the liberation of the MONUC peacekeeper of the Moroccan contingent and is furious that that it has been ''thrown to the wolves as terrorists instead of being thanked''. Referring to the Disarmament and Community Reintegration process (DRC), UPC highlights '' MONUC ambiguous role in the pacification of Ituri and the Government's failure to take up responsibility'' by ''entirely trusting Monuc for a successful pacification of Ituri as a vital process'.
Explaining the circumstances having led Vice-president Azarias Ruberwa to apologise, LE PALMARES indicates ''it was the result of strong pressures made by the ministers drawn from PPRD (Parti du Peuple pour la Reconstruction et la Démocratie- close to President Joseph Kabila)''. The paper recalls that in his memorandum, ''Mr. Ruberwa described Joseph Kabila as a genocidaire for having either authorised or facilitated the perpetration of the Gatumba massacre'. In the same memorandum, 'He also described General Mbuja Mabe as the mastermind of the genocide and clamoured for his removal from the tenth military region'', the paper says, further indicating that Vice President Ruberwa also accuses politicians, the press and the army for their ''indescribable fierceness''. Condemning the ''treason and lies contained in the memorandum'', PPRD members reportedly demanded Mr. Ruberwa ''to apologise to the President for having sullied his name'' otherwise his memo ''would be thrown into the dustbin as a useless rag''.
L'AVENIR, for its part, considers that the Human Rights Watch revelations ''cornered'' Mr. Ruberwa whom they obliged to apologise to Joseph Kabila. The paper however feels that this is not enough to ''clear the country of the discredit into which Ruberwa has thrown it''.
Following the Human Rights Watch report that clears them of any responsibility in the Gatumba massacre, the Maï-Maï demand an apology from Ruberwa, FORUM DES AS reports. Members of the Maï-Maï entity were accused by Mr. Azarias Ruberwa of participating in the massacre of the Congolese refugees in Burundi, the paper recalls, highlighting that in the absence of any apology, ''the Maï-Maï Mediation Committee will take the necessary actions to force the Vice-President to stand down''.
Referring to the Human Rights Watch report, LE POTENTIEL says MONUC has declined any comment in this regard. Alluding to Kofi Annan's statement allegedly accusing the Maï-Maï of participating in the Gatumba massacre, the paper echoes the clarification made by MONUC Head of Public Information, Patricia Tomé, indicating ''neither Monuc, nor ONUB, nor yet the UN accused the Maï-Maï of participating in this massacre''.
LE PHARE goes back over the RCD's claims, which it says, ''continues making waves'' and highlighting the 20 most urgent actions proposed by the former rebellion. The paper lays special emphasis on the urgent action concerning ''indiscriminate access to official medias by all political groups''. The paper, for its part, writes, ''our duty as journalists is to provide our compatriots all the necessary information on the ongoing debates that would determine their future and facilitate their choice as a test of their maturity and responsibility which are the cardinal virtues of a well-advised people''.
In another development, the law on nationality has given rise to serious controversy in the Senate, notably the law on the 'immigrants' nationality. This is reported by LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES, which adds that the Parliament's upper chamber and the transition's government, ''recognise only two status concerning the nationality relating issue: the original and the acquired nationalities''. So, to be recognised Congolese, one must ''belong to an ethnical group or tribe or be established in DRC as of 30 June 1960, the independence date of our country'', highlights the Senate. Nationality by integration therefore does not exist, the paper says.
Moreover, in the framework of the reinforcement of MONUC strength, France has demanded 1,600 additional troops and combat helicopters for the UN Mission in DRC, announces LE PHARE, indicating that ''French resolution requests two battalions, that is, about 1,600 troops and 4 additional combat helicopters to be rapidly availed to MONUC, to help cope with any tensions in the DRC''.
The same paper further publishes an open letter addressed to President Kabila by the UPC leader, Thomas Lubanga, calling for an assessment of the Ituri crisis. In his letter, UPC declares having used its own influence to secure the liberation of the MONUC peacekeeper of the Moroccan contingent and is furious that that it has been ''thrown to the wolves as terrorists instead of being thanked''. Referring to the Disarmament and Community Reintegration process (DRC), UPC highlights '' MONUC ambiguous role in the pacification of Ituri and the Government's failure to take up responsibility'' by ''entirely trusting Monuc for a successful pacification of Ituri as a vital process'.
