UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
6 Mar
2009
Press Review
Arthur Z'Ahadi Ngoma, the Vice-President for Social and Cultural Commission, reportedly escaped a coup attempt in Kinshasa, while Azarias Ruberwa, the Vice-President for Political, Defence and Security Commission, has allegedly demanded that General Mbuja Mabe be removed from Bukavu. Those are the major issues commented by today's local papers in Kinshasa.
Arthur Z'Ahidi Ngoma has escaped death!, titles FORUM DES AS, indicating that on Saturday 21 August, ''a rocket was fired at his escort a few hundred yards away from the Ndjili airport'. Echoing an official communiqué issued by the Vice-president's cabinet, the paper adds ''the projectile narrowly missed the official car on board which Z'Ahidi Ngoma was''. Who did fire the rocket, who did plan to kill Vice-president Z'Ahidi', the paper wonders, further indicating that an investigation was initiated to determine the circumstances surrounding ''the coup attempt''.
LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES, which raises the same issue, refers to a series of misfortunes hunting Vice-President Arthur Z'Ahidi, alluding to a communiqué issued by Vice-president Z'Ahidi Ngoma's cabinet on 20 August long before the coup attempt ''informing that the life of the Vice-president was in danger'' following a land conflict in which the Vice-president was involved. LE POTENTIEL refers to a ''land scandal'' caused by an attempt to occupy Utexafrica (African Textiles Plants/Factory) concession. In this regard, the paper indicates ''the Vice-president runs the risk of being charged with misappropriation of public funds and abuse of authority''. L 'OBSERVATEUR, in turn, feels that ''the Vice-president is victim of his good faith in believing that everyone he is dealing with are like him and think the same way', he is victim of his naivety'he is also victim of a Mafioso who, in search for favours, are ready to sacrifice anyone, be it Z'Ahidi Ngoma''.
In another development, Vice-president Azarias Ruberwa is due to hold a news conference today in Goma, announces LA REFERENCE PLUS, which expects Mr. Ruberwa to clarify ''his various declarations, notably regarding the review of the transitional process, the Gatumba massacre, the official mourning which he decided in Goma'''. According to this paper, the Vice-president will as well reveal the four pre-conditions to his return to Kinshasa: ''the removal of General Mbudja Mabe from Bukavu, the reduction of the strength of the loyalist troops in Eastern DRC, an effective integration of the armed groups, the reorganisation of the Security Services as well as the Government-owned firms and Diplomacy''. LA REFERENCE PLUS notes that all these conditions, ''visibly unacceptable, would give Ruberwa and his party the pretext to leave the transitional institutions''.
Against this background, L'AVENIR announces that Ruberwa is preparing a coup against the transitional institutions. The paper says that he will confirm ''the halt of the ongoing transition's process''. In this regard, the paper indicates that Mr. Ruberwa will apparently have the support of the 'Union pour la Démocratie et le Progrès Social (UDPS)'. The paper also goes back over the report alluding that Azarias Ruberwa forbad General Laurent Nkunda to enter the town of Goma. Recalling that his position has joined that of the Transition's Government, the paper however describes this attitude as ''ambiguous'' and ''destined for external use''. The paper further mentions a manhunt in Goma with ''a purge to avenge those killed in the Gatumba massacre''. The paper says that the provincial leader of PPRD, targeted by the operation, reportedly sought refuge in Monuc premises, ''but was not accepted''.
LE POTENTIEL, in turn, publishes some excerpts of the third report issued by the United Nations Secretary-General on the DRC situation, in which, the latter, ''draws the lessons of the past about Monuc mission, requesting that the UN strength be increased to 23,900''. The paper provides the breakdown of the additional troops to be deployed to the sensitive zones in DRC: 150 troops to Ituri (the current strength stands at 4700 troops); 6,650 troops to the Kivu brigade; 3,500 troops to Katanga and Kasaï, and 2,800 troops to Kinshasa.
LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES, which raises the same issue, refers to a series of misfortunes hunting Vice-President Arthur Z'Ahidi, alluding to a communiqué issued by Vice-president Z'Ahidi Ngoma's cabinet on 20 August long before the coup attempt ''informing that the life of the Vice-president was in danger'' following a land conflict in which the Vice-president was involved. LE POTENTIEL refers to a ''land scandal'' caused by an attempt to occupy Utexafrica (African Textiles Plants/Factory) concession. In this regard, the paper indicates ''the Vice-president runs the risk of being charged with misappropriation of public funds and abuse of authority''. L 'OBSERVATEUR, in turn, feels that ''the Vice-president is victim of his good faith in believing that everyone he is dealing with are like him and think the same way', he is victim of his naivety'he is also victim of a Mafioso who, in search for favours, are ready to sacrifice anyone, be it Z'Ahidi Ngoma''.
In another development, Vice-president Azarias Ruberwa is due to hold a news conference today in Goma, announces LA REFERENCE PLUS, which expects Mr. Ruberwa to clarify ''his various declarations, notably regarding the review of the transitional process, the Gatumba massacre, the official mourning which he decided in Goma'''. According to this paper, the Vice-president will as well reveal the four pre-conditions to his return to Kinshasa: ''the removal of General Mbudja Mabe from Bukavu, the reduction of the strength of the loyalist troops in Eastern DRC, an effective integration of the armed groups, the reorganisation of the Security Services as well as the Government-owned firms and Diplomacy''. LA REFERENCE PLUS notes that all these conditions, ''visibly unacceptable, would give Ruberwa and his party the pretext to leave the transitional institutions''.
Against this background, L'AVENIR announces that Ruberwa is preparing a coup against the transitional institutions. The paper says that he will confirm ''the halt of the ongoing transition's process''. In this regard, the paper indicates that Mr. Ruberwa will apparently have the support of the 'Union pour la Démocratie et le Progrès Social (UDPS)'. The paper also goes back over the report alluding that Azarias Ruberwa forbad General Laurent Nkunda to enter the town of Goma. Recalling that his position has joined that of the Transition's Government, the paper however describes this attitude as ''ambiguous'' and ''destined for external use''. The paper further mentions a manhunt in Goma with ''a purge to avenge those killed in the Gatumba massacre''. The paper says that the provincial leader of PPRD, targeted by the operation, reportedly sought refuge in Monuc premises, ''but was not accepted''.
LE POTENTIEL, in turn, publishes some excerpts of the third report issued by the United Nations Secretary-General on the DRC situation, in which, the latter, ''draws the lessons of the past about Monuc mission, requesting that the UN strength be increased to 23,900''. The paper provides the breakdown of the additional troops to be deployed to the sensitive zones in DRC: 150 troops to Ituri (the current strength stands at 4700 troops); 6,650 troops to the Kivu brigade; 3,500 troops to Katanga and Kasaï, and 2,800 troops to Kinshasa.
