UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
5 Mar
2009
Press Review
The majority of today's local papers in Kinshasa mainly comment on the much-awaited cabinet reshuffle made effective last Sunday.
The presidential decree on the cabinet reshuffle was made public yesterday Sunday 11 June 2004, L'Observateur announces, underscoring that ''only the Government, RCD-Goma and Civil Society made the light reshuffle in their components''. The paper further indicates that for the government component, ''the Deputy-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Henri Mova Sakanyi, was appointed Minister of Information, in replacement of Vital Kamerhe who has been assigned the position of Secretary-General for PPRD (President Kabila's Political Party); the Minister of Health, Yagi Sitolo is replaced by Anastasie Moleko; Christophe Muzungu takes over from Ms. Pierrette Gene in the ministry of Culture and Arts''. Within RCD-Goma, ''Lola Kisanga made a spectacular entrance as Minister of Labour and Social Planning, in replacement of Théo Baruti who has been appointed Governor of Eastern Province''; Emile Ngoy, the former Minister of Higher and University Education replaces Célestin Vunabandi Kanayamihigo who has been appointed Minister of Public Firms in replacement of Joseph Mudumbi who is appointed Minister of Higher and University Education. For the Civil Society, Anasthase Matenda Kyelu, Chief Executive Officer of the Federation of Congolese Firms is appointed Minister of Civil Service in replacement of Gustave Tabezi, the paper says, further indicating that 8 vice-ministers have also been named by presidential decree.
Under the headline: Reshuffle: the same actors being retained, we are now off to a new start, Le Potentiel expresses the opinion that the reshuffle did not meet people's expectation, ''this was rather a light reshuffle with nothing special''. The paper therefore wonders whether the reshuffle called for by Joseph Kabila, for reasons of efficiency, was not a ''real flop'', insofar as ''the majority of the newly promoted have come in to replace those reassigned to other duties, notably in territorial administration''. The paper does not hide its disappointment to see the outgoing team be reassigned to other duties in spite of their ''poor performance''. For the paper, the reshuffle is indicative of a ''generalised mafia in the country's top leadership''.
Forum des As shares the same analysis with Le Potentiel and notes that ''the removal of a large number of ministers and deputy-ministers requested daily and loudly by the population'', was not made. Instead, ''the Big guns supposed to leave the Government have retained their offices'', the paper writes, concluding in ironic tone, ''we were given a breeze while we were expecting a storm''.
L'Avenir, in turn, notes that the expected reshuffle did not take place. In its editorial, the paper writes that the transitional government was ''lightly reshuffled''. The paper slams RCD, which ''just moved pawns''. It considers that ''RCD did not make the expected change''. The paper further wonders whether ''the newly appointed could be given the benefit of the presumption of efficiency''. It expresses doubts for ''people have the impression that the same actors being retained, we are off to a new start for an unknown destination''.
For Le Palmarès, the ''light reshuffle'' makes the Congolese people, ''whose voice has never been heard'', realize that they have been once again ''duped'', for ''they were rather expecting a removal of the majority of the incompetent ministers if not all''. The paper therefore indicates that ''the silent majority subjected to a long and unnecessary suspense, did not have its remark taken into consideration and the much awaited reshuffle was a failure'', Le Palmarès writes.
In another development, La Tempête des Tropiques has published the definite toll of the clashes between the troops of the Forces Armées du Peuple Congolais (FAPC) and the Front des Nationalistes and Intégrationnistes (FNI) in Ituri district. The paper reports fifty-eight dead, including four civilians. The two movements clashed to gain control of a goldmine, the paper recalls, indicating that other clashes are reported in North Kivu, notably in Masisi and Rutshuru where armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) reportedly slaughtered ten Interahamwe.
The same paper further reports that the 'Union des Patriotes Congolais (UPC)' led by Thomas Lubanga has turned to a political party. The paper quotes the chief of the former Ituri militia group as explaining that UPC was created in order to fight ''the injustice and massive Human Rights abuse against innocent people''.
Under the headline: Reshuffle: the same actors being retained, we are now off to a new start, Le Potentiel expresses the opinion that the reshuffle did not meet people's expectation, ''this was rather a light reshuffle with nothing special''. The paper therefore wonders whether the reshuffle called for by Joseph Kabila, for reasons of efficiency, was not a ''real flop'', insofar as ''the majority of the newly promoted have come in to replace those reassigned to other duties, notably in territorial administration''. The paper does not hide its disappointment to see the outgoing team be reassigned to other duties in spite of their ''poor performance''. For the paper, the reshuffle is indicative of a ''generalised mafia in the country's top leadership''.
Forum des As shares the same analysis with Le Potentiel and notes that ''the removal of a large number of ministers and deputy-ministers requested daily and loudly by the population'', was not made. Instead, ''the Big guns supposed to leave the Government have retained their offices'', the paper writes, concluding in ironic tone, ''we were given a breeze while we were expecting a storm''.
L'Avenir, in turn, notes that the expected reshuffle did not take place. In its editorial, the paper writes that the transitional government was ''lightly reshuffled''. The paper slams RCD, which ''just moved pawns''. It considers that ''RCD did not make the expected change''. The paper further wonders whether ''the newly appointed could be given the benefit of the presumption of efficiency''. It expresses doubts for ''people have the impression that the same actors being retained, we are off to a new start for an unknown destination''.
For Le Palmarès, the ''light reshuffle'' makes the Congolese people, ''whose voice has never been heard'', realize that they have been once again ''duped'', for ''they were rather expecting a removal of the majority of the incompetent ministers if not all''. The paper therefore indicates that ''the silent majority subjected to a long and unnecessary suspense, did not have its remark taken into consideration and the much awaited reshuffle was a failure'', Le Palmarès writes.
In another development, La Tempête des Tropiques has published the definite toll of the clashes between the troops of the Forces Armées du Peuple Congolais (FAPC) and the Front des Nationalistes and Intégrationnistes (FNI) in Ituri district. The paper reports fifty-eight dead, including four civilians. The two movements clashed to gain control of a goldmine, the paper recalls, indicating that other clashes are reported in North Kivu, notably in Masisi and Rutshuru where armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) reportedly slaughtered ten Interahamwe.
The same paper further reports that the 'Union des Patriotes Congolais (UPC)' led by Thomas Lubanga has turned to a political party. The paper quotes the chief of the former Ituri militia group as explaining that UPC was created in order to fight ''the injustice and massive Human Rights abuse against innocent people''.
