MONUC-backed FARDC military operations against Ugandan rebels and RCD-UDPS fresh alliance are the major issues in today's local press.

L'OBSERVATEUR focuses on the ongoing military operations in Ituri and North-Kivu. The headlines in the paper read: Approximately 4000 troops to drive Ugandan rebels out. "The military operations against Ugandan rebels and Congolese militia positions are aimed at driving the armed groups operating in the DRC territory out," the paper says. Altogether, three operations were launched: one in Northern Bunia against the armed group led by Peter Karim of the ex-FNI; another codenamed "Ituri Edifice" along the Boga-Bukuringi axis, is led against the ex-militia members of FRPI; and the third, dubbed "North night final" in Erengeti and Ruwenzori, 250 km away from the town of Goma. "Three thousand Congolese troops backed by 600 Indian peacekeepers are tracking the rebels of ADF/NALU, a Ugandan group specialized in poaching and weapons traffic," says the paper. 35 rebels members are reported dead, 3 FARDC troops dead and 16 injured, 1 peacekeeper dead and 3 injured, says the paper. The paper gives a historical background of the presence of Ugandan rebels on the Congolese territory: they came in 1990s, and number "between 1500 and 2000 troops and settled between the town of
Beni
and the locality of Kasindi." L'OBSERVATEUR says, the Ugandan armed group declared itself opposed to President Museveni's regime, "which
Kampala
used as a pretext to attack the DRC in 1998." The offensive aims to, "to consolidate peace (...) and to curb Ugandan vague impulses, using the pretext on the presence of negative forces to invade the DRC," says LE PALMARES.

Ruberwa reveals its determination to bring back Tshisekedi to the electoral process, headlines the same paper. The Vice-president for Political, Defence and Security Affairs and leader of the ex-rebel movement, "Rassemblement Congolais pour la Démocratie (RCD) "entered last Thursday an alliance with UDPS (Union pour la Démocratie et le Progrès Social) in view of the upcoming presidential elections," says LE PALMARES. Azarias Ruberwa applauded the victory of "yes" during the 18 December referendum votes. "Both UDPS, the first opposition party in DRC and RCD continue denouncing inversion of values and advocating good governance." We will make good governance the key issue of our electoral campaign, declared RCD leader; "this is the only way of breaking the contrast between the extreme wealth of the Congolese soil on one hand, and on the other, extreme poverty in which the population live." The paper recalls a previous alliance between RCD and UDPS to safeguard the Inter Congolese dialogue (ASD) when UDPS did everything in its power to bring back its ally to the negotiating table. "Thanks to that alliance, the all-inclusive agreement was signed in . The objectives of the ASD having been attained, UDPS declared the alliance as no longer necessary," writes the paper.

"Tshisekedi-Ruberwa ticket," is it to counter the CODECO candidate for presidential elections, Pay Pay wa Siagasige (backed by 17 political parties), or Joseph Kabila backed by PPRD, wonders LE POTENTIEL. "To whom will the tandem benefit?," asks the paper wondering why Ruberwa has chosen Tshisekedi knowing that UDPS leader "continues boycotting the electoral process." LE PALMARES recalls, "Tshisekedi is neither voter nor eligible (...) whereas RCD is candidate at every level." "Why has RCD entered a new alliance with a party that has boycotted the electoral process," wonders LE POTENTIEL, alluding to "the UN efforts to bring Tshisekedi back to the transition through secret diplomacy." LE PALMARES says, "the tactful Ruberwa is determined to work twice as hard just to persuade Tshisekedi who has boycotted the electoral process (...) to join back the process."

"The United Nations is allegedly prepared to provide necessary assistance and security guarantees to get Etienne Tshisekedi back to the electoral process," reveals LE POTENTIEL which further reports that UDPS leader will make a statement "after the final results of the constitutional referendum are published by the Independent Electoral Commission."

L'AVENIR says this is the last chance for UDPS before the elections, which will help the party to "survive after seeking in vain the re-qualification of the transition," says the paper.