Echoing LA LIBRE BELGIQUE, LE POTENTIEL reports, "a reputable anti-Tutsi colonel publicly necklaced several "gangsters or insurgents" without any trial. Has the military integration failed in Kivu?, wonders LE POTENTIEL, highlighting, "the Rutshuru unveils weaknesses in the DRC army integration:" The first integrated brigade including troops from all the ex-belligerent forces was formed by Belgium in 2004 for five months. Since then, only five integrated brigades were formed of the expected eighteen. In view of the time constraints, the remaining brigades "will be formed in ... 45 days," laments the paper, indicating: "the integrated troops are paid 8 to 10 euros a month, which does not enable them to cater to their families' needs); and do not receive any ration, clean drinking water, suitable accommodation, nor medical care." "Several hundreds troops of the new integrated army recently deserted the army to join the dissident General, Laurent Nkunda," says the paper.

Though under an international arrest warrant for the brief capture of Bukavu in May-June 2004, "the dissident Laurent Nkunda, along with colonel Mutebutsi who took refuge in Rwanda, is still at large and undefeated," underscores LE POTENTIEL. He "has been moving between DRC and Kigali; DRC, Rwanda and MONUC have been able to lay hand on him, despite the many occasions they had," says the paper.

"Armed gangs operating freely in Rutshuru, to the local population's displeasure," says LE POTENTIEL under the headlines "Complicity". The paper is shocked by the "silence" of the Congolese Government officials while "different sources unanimously report that the insurgents under Nkundabatware (...) receive support from RPA (Armée Patriotique Rwandaise)." The paper calls for "drastic and unambiguous measures" to stop repeated rebellions in Eastern DRC; and appeals to the parliament to interpellate the Government "over this situation."

Senate-National Assembly in disagreement! The bone of contention is reportedly the 2006 budget, indicates LE POTENTIEL. "Senate plenary held on Monday 30 January denounced "complicity" between the National Assembly and some Income-Generating Departments over budgetary nomenclatures," writes the paper. The Senate says, the 2006 budget has "lots of flaws," though adopted by the General Assembly. The Senate economic and financial commission reviewed upward the revenues forecasts for the 2006 budget; say over 8 billion Congolese francs. Echoing the Senate, the paper refers to it as: "a deliberate attempt to steal a good portion of the public revenues from the State coffer. Is it a Compromise or complicity? wonders the paper.

With respect to the 2006 budget, L'AVENIR reports, DRC Government accuses the National Assembly, alluding to a memo addressed by the DRC Minister of Budget to the Head of the Senate on 18 January, accusing the lower house of the parliament of "pruning the income-generating law on the mining resource registry, the Funds for the promotion of tourism and Regulation Authority of posts and telecommunications," which is a violation of Government's commitment to its external partners on the management of the BPO revenues (ex-Budget's payment order). LE POTENTIEL asks why the DRC Government is trying to pit both houses of parliament against each other. "Isn't the transition Government trying to hamper the National Assembly's activities by using the budgetary weapon?," wonders the paper, indicating, "the mystery surrounding this issue will soon be unveiled in broad daylight."

LE PHARE publishes a declaration issued by the DRC Forum National des Laïcs Catholiques, following their 22 through 26 January 2006 meeting in Kinshasa. "We shall never vote for anyone who committed crimes, or those who have turned a deaf ear to the cry of the starving population." For LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES, The catholic laymen mean to enlighten the people and "to play a major role in the choice of the candidates."