UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
10 Mar
2009
Press Review of 2nd November 2005
The return of 240 troops of the former Zairian armed forces to Kinshasa yesterday is the main issue in today's local press.
'Two hundred forty dependents of the former troops of the late President Mobutu Sese Seko were recently brought to Kinshasa by pastor Daniel Kawata of the National Commission for Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration,' reports Le Potentiel. The 'troops found refuge in Congo Brazzaville eight years ago. Many of them fled at the arrival of the AFDL troops led by Laurent Désiré Kabila. They were later on joined by the FAC (Congolese armed forces) following the assassination of Laurent Désiré Kabila,' reports Le Phare. The latter are 'the elements of the famous Special Presidential Division who had served as the bedrock having kept Mobutu in power for so long ('),' further says La Référence Plus. 'The power must take advantage of the return of these troops to effectively secure the borders of our territory,' says La Référence Plus, an independent paper. 'The 3rd Republic [does need] a disciplined, modernised, determined and non plethoric army, ready to guarantee the country's territorial integrity,' further says La Tempête des Tropiques. It is now up to the former FAZ troops to 'choose to either serve in the army or return to civilian life. This will of course depend on each one of them, the way they envisage their future,' highlights Le Palmarès. 'Those who would have opted for civilian life will be demobilised and those who would have opted for the army will be reintegrated,' further says Le Palmarès.
Until the troops make such a decision, we should acknowledge that 'the return of the elements of the former FAZ is an overwhelming victory for the transition government,' says L'Avenir in an editorial. It is incredible that 'combatants as seasoned and trained as the former FAZ are sidelined when the integrated army is being put in place,' estimates La Référence Plus. However, 'the government must not rest on its laurels. It is time to be vigilant in so far as the hidden agenda of the troops that spent eight years in exile and possibly nurtured all kinds of relations with partners, is yet unknown. They cannot have good intentions for the transition (') It would therefore be a good strategy to remain cautious towards them,' urges L'Avenir, pro-presidential paper. 'The danger would not come up just because they are former FAZ, Maï Maï'but lies on the way the troops and their dependents will be treated. The last July lootings in Mbandaka were caused by poor living conditions of the troops awaiting to be moved to the integration center,' replies La Référence Plus.
In other developments, at the national Assembly, the Minister of Justice had a hard job yesterday with the MPs. Having declared 'the National Assembly cannot overthrow the government either by rejection of a motion of confidence or by adoption of a censure motion (') deputies nearly attacked him,' reports La Tempête des Tropiques. Even though 'the constitution drastically limits deputies' power in this respect, Kisimba Ngoy should not bring this up when the deputies are seeking to make their institutions credible,' estimates La Référence Plus, for which the Minister of Justice was 'tactless.' 'Though the Minister of Justice withdrew the word that angered the deputies, the latter decided that he must no longer address the parliament until the transition ends,' says L'Avenir. However, 'some deputies estimated that Kisimba did not invent anything by recalling the deputies' limited power, that is, Government's resonance chamber,' highlights Le Phare, pro-UDPS.
Until the troops make such a decision, we should acknowledge that 'the return of the elements of the former FAZ is an overwhelming victory for the transition government,' says L'Avenir in an editorial. It is incredible that 'combatants as seasoned and trained as the former FAZ are sidelined when the integrated army is being put in place,' estimates La Référence Plus. However, 'the government must not rest on its laurels. It is time to be vigilant in so far as the hidden agenda of the troops that spent eight years in exile and possibly nurtured all kinds of relations with partners, is yet unknown. They cannot have good intentions for the transition (') It would therefore be a good strategy to remain cautious towards them,' urges L'Avenir, pro-presidential paper. 'The danger would not come up just because they are former FAZ, Maï Maï'but lies on the way the troops and their dependents will be treated. The last July lootings in Mbandaka were caused by poor living conditions of the troops awaiting to be moved to the integration center,' replies La Référence Plus.
In other developments, at the national Assembly, the Minister of Justice had a hard job yesterday with the MPs. Having declared 'the National Assembly cannot overthrow the government either by rejection of a motion of confidence or by adoption of a censure motion (') deputies nearly attacked him,' reports La Tempête des Tropiques. Even though 'the constitution drastically limits deputies' power in this respect, Kisimba Ngoy should not bring this up when the deputies are seeking to make their institutions credible,' estimates La Référence Plus, for which the Minister of Justice was 'tactless.' 'Though the Minister of Justice withdrew the word that angered the deputies, the latter decided that he must no longer address the parliament until the transition ends,' says L'Avenir. However, 'some deputies estimated that Kisimba did not invent anything by recalling the deputies' limited power, that is, Government's resonance chamber,' highlights Le Phare, pro-UDPS.
