UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
6 Mar
2009
Press Review 28 December 2004
The situation in Eastern DRC, the elections due in 2005 and the meeting of RCD's Founding College are the major issues covered by today's local press.
« Le POTENTIEL has reviewed the last 12 month-situation and concluded, «the restoration of Government authority has come under a serious obstacle in Eastern DRC', and that, the buffer zone amounts to the partition of North Kivu'. Having recalled the promises made by president Joseph Kabila in his seasons greetings to the Congolese people, LE POTENTIEL expresses apprehension that «Kivu is further breaking away from the DRC through the will of the Congolese and foreigners, whether voiced or hidden, who have been working for the long-planned balkanization'. After thorough consideration of the article about the establishment of the buffer zone that it refers to as suspicious since 'it does not indicate any time limit.
' LE POTENTIEL refers to 'UN hypocrisy, quoting the UN Under Secretary general in charge of peace operation's statement'. The paper also comments on 'MONUC attitude when requesting on Saturday that the mutineers and government troops should pull back 5 km each'. 'Awaiting further clarifications on the coming days, Congolese analysts fear that the buffer zone in Kanyabayonga comes a de facto acknowledgement of the balkanization of the North Kivu province in particular, and the DRC in general' the paper concludes. The paper also briefs on the meeting between generals Kisempia, FARDC chief of staff and MONUC force commander, general Iliya Sumaila who reviewed the Eastern DRC situation.
Referring to the Eastern DRC situation, LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES writes, 'Tango Fort sticks to the military units' merging'. The paper says, 'The good faith of the 8th military region's commander is not enough, in such a hostile environment to any merging without effective checking'. The paper goes back over the news conference held by General Tango Fort yesterday in Goma during which he explained his personal experience in Mbuji Mayi. L'AVENIR refers to the same news conference and titles 'General Amisi Gabriel Kumba explains his mission to North Kivu'. L'AVENIR, in turn, echoes a declaration made by the Congolese Diaspora in Asia, 'accusing the government of treason'. Published in full by L'AVENIR, the declaration reads 'the transition government and other relevant institutions have been too discreet in handling the umpteenth war initiated by Rwandan president Paul Kagame. The handling of the issue is regarded by L'AVENIR as ambiguous'.
Going back over the promulgation of the law on identification and voters' enrolment, L'OBSERVATEUR titles 'Confusion entertained by the Independent Electoral Commission known as (CEI) and the Parliament'. The CEI spokesman Mr. Dieudonné Nivemo declared, 'we should now start consultations after securing the law on enrolment'the issue about local elections will be clarified by the Parliament'. 'For the National Assembly on the contrary, the CEI should now accelerate the process taking into consideration the already promulgated laws'. The paper notes some confusion within the CEI, which is sending the ball into the National Assembly's court, which, in turn, sends it back whilst condemning the government.
LA REFERENCE PLUS further goes back over the Kigali meeting between Rwandan President and a team of Congolese journalists and titles 'Paul Kagame says: Remove the Interahamwe pretext to see if we will still intervene in DRC', alluding to the Rwandan involvement in the recent events that occurred in North Kivu writes 'the aggressor raised a different point when explaining the situation in DRC and even the facts confirmed by MONUC observers. So, instead of confirming or denying the incursions of the Rwandan army into the scene of war in North Kivu, he prefers to put forward a series of questions on the possibility of such an incursion'.
LE SOFT GRANDS LACS also goes over the crisis in North Kivu and titles 'North Kivu battle, the new rebels'. This paper echoes the declaration issued by the kinyarwanda-speaking notables and handed to the ministerial and parliament delegations when visiting Goma. The declarations which were signed by spokespersons calls on the 'the highest military hierarchy to firstly pacify a South Kivu province (which was) cleared of the kinyarwanda speaking Congolese and full of interhamwe and ex-FAR genocidaires before claiming to pacify North Kivu'. The paper further says 'there must be proof that the troops flying to the relief of their comrade-in-arms of the 8th military region are actually willing to flush the negative forces out'.
LE SOFT also writes 'the sordid story of pedophilias in MONUC'. The paper refers to the threat by Pakistani peacekeepers, Moroccans and Tunisians against the MONUC representative in Ituri, Dominique Mc Adam. 'Even minister Kalala, of human rights, was nearly attacked by MONUC staff' LE SOFT writes. The paper tells the different cases of pedophilia and scandal caused by the peacekeepers in Ituri.
LE POTENTIEL reports on the meeting of RCD Founding College held yesterday at this party's seat and titles, 'RCD at the brink of implosion'. The paper comments on the differences of views between the party's members since the Gatumba events including the Bukavu and Kanyabayonga.
' LE POTENTIEL refers to 'UN hypocrisy, quoting the UN Under Secretary general in charge of peace operation's statement'. The paper also comments on 'MONUC attitude when requesting on Saturday that the mutineers and government troops should pull back 5 km each'. 'Awaiting further clarifications on the coming days, Congolese analysts fear that the buffer zone in Kanyabayonga comes a de facto acknowledgement of the balkanization of the North Kivu province in particular, and the DRC in general' the paper concludes. The paper also briefs on the meeting between generals Kisempia, FARDC chief of staff and MONUC force commander, general Iliya Sumaila who reviewed the Eastern DRC situation.
Referring to the Eastern DRC situation, LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES writes, 'Tango Fort sticks to the military units' merging'. The paper says, 'The good faith of the 8th military region's commander is not enough, in such a hostile environment to any merging without effective checking'. The paper goes back over the news conference held by General Tango Fort yesterday in Goma during which he explained his personal experience in Mbuji Mayi. L'AVENIR refers to the same news conference and titles 'General Amisi Gabriel Kumba explains his mission to North Kivu'. L'AVENIR, in turn, echoes a declaration made by the Congolese Diaspora in Asia, 'accusing the government of treason'. Published in full by L'AVENIR, the declaration reads 'the transition government and other relevant institutions have been too discreet in handling the umpteenth war initiated by Rwandan president Paul Kagame. The handling of the issue is regarded by L'AVENIR as ambiguous'.
Going back over the promulgation of the law on identification and voters' enrolment, L'OBSERVATEUR titles 'Confusion entertained by the Independent Electoral Commission known as (CEI) and the Parliament'. The CEI spokesman Mr. Dieudonné Nivemo declared, 'we should now start consultations after securing the law on enrolment'the issue about local elections will be clarified by the Parliament'. 'For the National Assembly on the contrary, the CEI should now accelerate the process taking into consideration the already promulgated laws'. The paper notes some confusion within the CEI, which is sending the ball into the National Assembly's court, which, in turn, sends it back whilst condemning the government.
LA REFERENCE PLUS further goes back over the Kigali meeting between Rwandan President and a team of Congolese journalists and titles 'Paul Kagame says: Remove the Interahamwe pretext to see if we will still intervene in DRC', alluding to the Rwandan involvement in the recent events that occurred in North Kivu writes 'the aggressor raised a different point when explaining the situation in DRC and even the facts confirmed by MONUC observers. So, instead of confirming or denying the incursions of the Rwandan army into the scene of war in North Kivu, he prefers to put forward a series of questions on the possibility of such an incursion'.
LE SOFT GRANDS LACS also goes over the crisis in North Kivu and titles 'North Kivu battle, the new rebels'. This paper echoes the declaration issued by the kinyarwanda-speaking notables and handed to the ministerial and parliament delegations when visiting Goma. The declarations which were signed by spokespersons calls on the 'the highest military hierarchy to firstly pacify a South Kivu province (which was) cleared of the kinyarwanda speaking Congolese and full of interhamwe and ex-FAR genocidaires before claiming to pacify North Kivu'. The paper further says 'there must be proof that the troops flying to the relief of their comrade-in-arms of the 8th military region are actually willing to flush the negative forces out'.
LE SOFT also writes 'the sordid story of pedophilias in MONUC'. The paper refers to the threat by Pakistani peacekeepers, Moroccans and Tunisians against the MONUC representative in Ituri, Dominique Mc Adam. 'Even minister Kalala, of human rights, was nearly attacked by MONUC staff' LE SOFT writes. The paper tells the different cases of pedophilia and scandal caused by the peacekeepers in Ituri.
LE POTENTIEL reports on the meeting of RCD Founding College held yesterday at this party's seat and titles, 'RCD at the brink of implosion'. The paper comments on the differences of views between the party's members since the Gatumba events including the Bukavu and Kanyabayonga.
