UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
6 Mar
2009
Press Review
Aldo Ajello's, the European Union Special Envoy for the Great Lakes visit to the DRC holds the front page of today's local press in Kinshasa.
Mr. Ajello is due to arrive in Kinshasa this Saturday 28 August on a working visit in the Great Lakes region, says L'OBSERVATEUR, adding that ''the visit is part of the effort for the revival of the DRC Transition's process recently undermined by RCD leadership's decision to suspend their participation in the Transition''. The paper further says that Aldo Ajello's visit is also aimed ''at assessing the overall situation and initiating actions to defuse the current tensions in the region''.
Mr. Ajello is due to arrive in Kinshasa this Saturday 28 August on a working visit in the Great Lakes region, says L'OBSERVATEUR, adding that ''the visit is part of the effort for the revival of the DRC Transition's process recently undermined by RCD leadership's decision to suspend their participation in the Transition''. The paper further says that Aldo Ajello's visit is also aimed ''at assessing the overall situation and initiating actions to defuse the current tensions in the region''.
LE PHARE hails the European Union's involvement in the DRC crisis and indicates that Aldo Ajello had visited Goma on Thursday and Kampala on Friday before the Kinshasa leg. The paper says that in Goma, the European Union's Special Envoy conferred with Vice President Azarias Ruberwa and declared himself satisfied, after the talks, that ''RCD's decision to suspend their participation in the transition last Monday was not to call into question the All-inclusive Agreement nor was aimed to renegotiate it''.
With regard to the RCD-advocated Transition's assessment, Aldo Ajello said he agreed on the content while regretting the form, reports LA REFERENCE PLUS. Having noted that ''the DRC Transition was not strictly on the right track'', the European Union's Special Envoy declared that ''RCD's decision offered an opportunity for an assessment of the overall process''.
LE POTENTIEL for its part, notes that ''there are some signs of political thaw throughout the country'', owing to ''the pressures conjointly made by the United Nations Security Council, the African Union and the European Union'', further noting some serious determination for dialogue from all ''the stakeholders who generally acknowledge that the Transition is facing serious problems''. Moreover, the paper adds, this is a propitious time for dialogue, insofar as ''the gap between those who totally rejecting any renegotiation of the All-inclusive Agreement called for by Vice-president Ruberwa and those who believe, like him, that there is a need for mid-way assessment is narrowing''. RCD has voiced its ''conditions'', says the paper, adding that the ''salient points'' of his claims are ''the lingering reforms expected'', notably: ''Integration of Armed forces and Security Services, political and administrative reorganisation, the laws on nationality and amnesty, the draft Constitution on the 3rd republic, voters' census''. Alluding to those conditions, LE POTENTIEL says that Goma has created diversion by ''focusing the attention of the national and international communities on its grievances''. The paper wonders whether the ''famous conditions'' are not ''just a lure''.
In another development, L'AVENIR reports that the National Assembly confirmed the members of the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) yesterday. For the paper, ''the ceremony is a strong signal for the elections''. LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES, which broaches the same subject, indicates that the head of the Independent Electoral Commission, Father Malu Malu, declared in his speech that ''the holding of elections within the allotted time is the basic objective of the transition''. To achieve this objective, he called on the Government and Parliament to provide the CEI with substantial means, the paper says, adding that ''the Government must provide the necessary financial and logistic resources, secure the whole country and provide any other support needed. The Parliament, as far as it is concerned, must provide legal instruments to the CEI''. The CEI is comprised of 21 staff, collegially appointed, as proposed by the components and entities, the paper says, highlighting that the staff numbers 10 women, which represents 50 per cent of women quota.
Addressing the press at the end of the ceremony, Olivier Kamitatu, the head of the National Assembly, reportedly declared, says FORUM DES AS, ''the confirmation of the CEI members is a striking response to Vice-president Ruberwa's apprehensions''.
L'AVENIR goes back over the reinforcement of MONUC strength, and indicates that ''France is resolved to have a decisive influence at the Security Council for adoption of the resolution on the reinforcement of the Mission's strength''. Echoing an AFP dispatch, the paper says the resolution must largely inspire itself from the last United Nations Secretary-General's report on the DRC and the Great Lakes situations.
With regard to the RCD-advocated Transition's assessment, Aldo Ajello said he agreed on the content while regretting the form, reports LA REFERENCE PLUS. Having noted that ''the DRC Transition was not strictly on the right track'', the European Union's Special Envoy declared that ''RCD's decision offered an opportunity for an assessment of the overall process''.
LE POTENTIEL for its part, notes that ''there are some signs of political thaw throughout the country'', owing to ''the pressures conjointly made by the United Nations Security Council, the African Union and the European Union'', further noting some serious determination for dialogue from all ''the stakeholders who generally acknowledge that the Transition is facing serious problems''. Moreover, the paper adds, this is a propitious time for dialogue, insofar as ''the gap between those who totally rejecting any renegotiation of the All-inclusive Agreement called for by Vice-president Ruberwa and those who believe, like him, that there is a need for mid-way assessment is narrowing''. RCD has voiced its ''conditions'', says the paper, adding that the ''salient points'' of his claims are ''the lingering reforms expected'', notably: ''Integration of Armed forces and Security Services, political and administrative reorganisation, the laws on nationality and amnesty, the draft Constitution on the 3rd republic, voters' census''. Alluding to those conditions, LE POTENTIEL says that Goma has created diversion by ''focusing the attention of the national and international communities on its grievances''. The paper wonders whether the ''famous conditions'' are not ''just a lure''.
In another development, L'AVENIR reports that the National Assembly confirmed the members of the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) yesterday. For the paper, ''the ceremony is a strong signal for the elections''. LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES, which broaches the same subject, indicates that the head of the Independent Electoral Commission, Father Malu Malu, declared in his speech that ''the holding of elections within the allotted time is the basic objective of the transition''. To achieve this objective, he called on the Government and Parliament to provide the CEI with substantial means, the paper says, adding that ''the Government must provide the necessary financial and logistic resources, secure the whole country and provide any other support needed. The Parliament, as far as it is concerned, must provide legal instruments to the CEI''. The CEI is comprised of 21 staff, collegially appointed, as proposed by the components and entities, the paper says, highlighting that the staff numbers 10 women, which represents 50 per cent of women quota.
Addressing the press at the end of the ceremony, Olivier Kamitatu, the head of the National Assembly, reportedly declared, says FORUM DES AS, ''the confirmation of the CEI members is a striking response to Vice-president Ruberwa's apprehensions''.
L'AVENIR goes back over the reinforcement of MONUC strength, and indicates that ''France is resolved to have a decisive influence at the Security Council for adoption of the resolution on the reinforcement of the Mission's strength''. Echoing an AFP dispatch, the paper says the resolution must largely inspire itself from the last United Nations Secretary-General's report on the DRC and the Great Lakes situations.
