UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
5 Mar
2009
Press Review
While the reshuffled cabinet was being sworn in yesterday, MLC (Movement for the Liberation of Congo), which retained its Ministers unchanged, reportedly envisaged sacking its Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antoine Ghonda, comment most of today's local papers in Kinshasa.
''President Joseph Kabila presided over the swearing-in of 8 Ministers, 8 Deputy-Ministers and 4 Governors yesterday'', L'Observateur reports, noting that ''the entire Government being in place'' they should now ''embark on the last stage leading straight to the elections due in June 2005''.
Le Potentiel however reveals that the cabinet reshuffle is not over yet, indicating the intention of the MLC leader, Jean-Pierre Bemba, to replace his Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antoine Ghonda by Mr. Bagbeni Adeito. Minister Ghonda is blamed by Vice President Bemba and other MLC leaders ''for implementing the former Government component's foreign policy used since the war'', the paper says. The paper further quotes Minister Ghonda as declaring that ''he is not Minister of Foreign Affairs for MLC but the Government which has a chief whose foreign policy at the international level must be implemented''. The paper says that the decree on the nomination of Bagbeni Adeito was allegedly signed, awaiting to be implemented upon Ghonda's return from his trip.
Le Phare specifies that ''following a pressing ultimatum issued by Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni'', MLC envisages sacking the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The paper explains that the problem started in the African Union summit in Addis-Ababa, where ''President Museveni was shocked and humiliated by Minister Antoine Ghonda's positions on the issues relating to nationality, the Lusaka Agreement and the Verification Mechanisms in the presence of his African peers and the UN Secretary-General, recalling that the Minister is of a UGANDA-sponsored component''. Uganda wanted the issue relating to nationality to be included into the agenda of the International Conference on Peace and Development in the Great Lakes which was categorically rejected by Minister Antoine Ghonda; Next, President Museveni proposed that the Lusaka Agreement be used as foundation for a lasting solution, which was also rejected by Mr. Ghonda, who argued that ''the Lusaka Agreement was brokered in a context of belligerence while there is now a National Unity Government which is working for the promotion of peace both at national and international levels''. On the third issue relating to the Verification Mechanism regarded as a casus belli/declaration of war, Antoine Ghonda reportedly proposed that Angola participate as a stabilising element in the Verification Mechanism along the eastern DRC borders, and opposed Uganda's participation, Le Potentiel says''.
Referring to ''Museveni's injunctions to MLC'', Le Palmarès considers that we are in for ''another scandal implicating Jean-Pierre Bemba, a Museveni's protégé that risks being masked; He should know that his status is no longer the same. He is now a statesman, and above all, Vice-President. In this capacity, he should refrain from displaying the reflexes of a yes-man or a sheep. Besides, Minister Ghonda should not be blamed for pointing an accusing finger at Rwanda and Uganda for he only reflected the deep sentiments of the Congolese people'', the paper writes, underscoring that ''punishing him for this reason would be tantamount to crucifying the immense hope of the Congolese people''.
Bemba and Ghonda at odds, Forum des As says, indicating that this risks stirring up ''the demon of division within MLC''. The paper says that some MLC members view a removal of Ghonda as a weakening of the party's cohesion, which may ''lead to the transfer of RCD's internal dissensions to MLC''.
La Tempête des Tropiques goes back over the decision of eight RCD-Goma's MPs to pull out of the Parliament and settle in Goma under the headlines Bizima Karaha and associates have taken a dangerous option. The paper thinks that ''those MPs withdrew to Goma to prepare a new rebellion''. It therefore calls on the Government to take seriously ''the strategic withdrawal of Bizima Karaha and many other Banyamulenge members to Goma''.
La Référence Plus establishes some connection between the withdrawal of Bizima Karaha from the Parliament and Laurent Nkundabatware's threat to besiege Goma. The paper echoes Laurent Nkundabatware's reaction to General Mbuja Mabe's warning that if he does not leave Minova by next weekend, he will be attacked, ''Nkundabatware declared that if attacked by Mbuja Mabe, he will besiege the town of Goma''. The paper thinks that ''the rebel's arrogance is due to the presence of General James Kabarhebe (Rwandan Army Chief of Staff) in Goma''' and takes seriously ''the warning of the Banyamulenge MPs who left Kinshasa for Goma on tiptoe''.
Le Potentiel however reveals that the cabinet reshuffle is not over yet, indicating the intention of the MLC leader, Jean-Pierre Bemba, to replace his Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antoine Ghonda by Mr. Bagbeni Adeito. Minister Ghonda is blamed by Vice President Bemba and other MLC leaders ''for implementing the former Government component's foreign policy used since the war'', the paper says. The paper further quotes Minister Ghonda as declaring that ''he is not Minister of Foreign Affairs for MLC but the Government which has a chief whose foreign policy at the international level must be implemented''. The paper says that the decree on the nomination of Bagbeni Adeito was allegedly signed, awaiting to be implemented upon Ghonda's return from his trip.
Le Phare specifies that ''following a pressing ultimatum issued by Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni'', MLC envisages sacking the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The paper explains that the problem started in the African Union summit in Addis-Ababa, where ''President Museveni was shocked and humiliated by Minister Antoine Ghonda's positions on the issues relating to nationality, the Lusaka Agreement and the Verification Mechanisms in the presence of his African peers and the UN Secretary-General, recalling that the Minister is of a UGANDA-sponsored component''. Uganda wanted the issue relating to nationality to be included into the agenda of the International Conference on Peace and Development in the Great Lakes which was categorically rejected by Minister Antoine Ghonda; Next, President Museveni proposed that the Lusaka Agreement be used as foundation for a lasting solution, which was also rejected by Mr. Ghonda, who argued that ''the Lusaka Agreement was brokered in a context of belligerence while there is now a National Unity Government which is working for the promotion of peace both at national and international levels''. On the third issue relating to the Verification Mechanism regarded as a casus belli/declaration of war, Antoine Ghonda reportedly proposed that Angola participate as a stabilising element in the Verification Mechanism along the eastern DRC borders, and opposed Uganda's participation, Le Potentiel says''.
Referring to ''Museveni's injunctions to MLC'', Le Palmarès considers that we are in for ''another scandal implicating Jean-Pierre Bemba, a Museveni's protégé that risks being masked; He should know that his status is no longer the same. He is now a statesman, and above all, Vice-President. In this capacity, he should refrain from displaying the reflexes of a yes-man or a sheep. Besides, Minister Ghonda should not be blamed for pointing an accusing finger at Rwanda and Uganda for he only reflected the deep sentiments of the Congolese people'', the paper writes, underscoring that ''punishing him for this reason would be tantamount to crucifying the immense hope of the Congolese people''.
Bemba and Ghonda at odds, Forum des As says, indicating that this risks stirring up ''the demon of division within MLC''. The paper says that some MLC members view a removal of Ghonda as a weakening of the party's cohesion, which may ''lead to the transfer of RCD's internal dissensions to MLC''.
La Tempête des Tropiques goes back over the decision of eight RCD-Goma's MPs to pull out of the Parliament and settle in Goma under the headlines Bizima Karaha and associates have taken a dangerous option. The paper thinks that ''those MPs withdrew to Goma to prepare a new rebellion''. It therefore calls on the Government to take seriously ''the strategic withdrawal of Bizima Karaha and many other Banyamulenge members to Goma''.
La Référence Plus establishes some connection between the withdrawal of Bizima Karaha from the Parliament and Laurent Nkundabatware's threat to besiege Goma. The paper echoes Laurent Nkundabatware's reaction to General Mbuja Mabe's warning that if he does not leave Minova by next weekend, he will be attacked, ''Nkundabatware declared that if attacked by Mbuja Mabe, he will besiege the town of Goma''. The paper thinks that ''the rebel's arrogance is due to the presence of General James Kabarhebe (Rwandan Army Chief of Staff) in Goma''' and takes seriously ''the warning of the Banyamulenge MPs who left Kinshasa for Goma on tiptoe''.
