UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
6 Mar
2009
Press Review
Most of today's local papers devote their headlines to Rwanda's threats to attack the Forces of the Liberation of Rwanda known as the FDLR in the DRC territory.
The headlines in LE PHARE read: Kigali threatens to attack FDLR in DRC, echoing the statement made by Richard Sezibera, Rwandan President Counsellor for DRC that a number of operations and incursions into Rwanda were planned by rebels. They are organising an ''attack against us in a near future''. Rwanda would be right to envisage protecting its borders. ''Our response to the provocation is: nothing gets in, nothing gets out'', Mr. Sezibera declared, as quoted by LE PHARE. The paper also reports that Rwanda disclosed Tuesday its intention to attack FDLR in the DRC territory. The paper echoes MONUC ''strong'' reaction in such terms: ''the international community will not tolerate any escalation in the region''. Ms. Patricia Tome, the Head of the MONUC Public Information declared that Kigali's intentions are a ''serious threat against the DRC Transition process, not to say a dangerous escalation in the region''.
LA REFERENCE PLUS raises MONUC's indignation about Rwanda's threats, noting that the Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for the DRC, William Swing, initiated intensive diplomatic activities to the UN, the African Union, South Africa in this regard, to deter Rwanda from implementing its threats. A joint communiqué conveying the international community's reaction will be shortly made public, the paper reports.
LE PALMARES says, thanks to Mr. Swing whom it refers to as ''eternal shield'' the tragedy has just been avoided. The paper goes on to say that he even called on ''the Senegalese President, Abdoulaye Wade to pressure Paul Kagame, his guest''. The paper further recalls that Rwanda has voiced its intention to attack FDLR in the DRC territory at a time when both countries have signed agreements with respect to borders control and lastly in Dar es-Salaam a declaration pledging to ensure peace, security and development in the Great Lakes region. The paper therefore says that for President Kagame, ''the agreements are just play-acting''.
LE POTENTIEL raises the UN Security Council's visit to the Great Lakes region recalling that the latter visited Kigali last week and held talks with Rwandan officials about sensitive points such as the disarmament of Rwandan armed extremists. Mr. Jean-Marc de la Sablière, head of the Security Council delegation estimated that ''the DRC Government, backed by MONUC, is ever determined to demobilise the rebels'on the basis of voluntary disarmament''. Rwanda, for its part, declared that it was ''ready to collaborate with the DRC in disarming the Interahamwe, should the DRC government make the official request''.
Against this background, L'AVENIR publishes an open letter addressed by FDLR to Kofi Annan. The FDLR's declaration signed from Bonn, Germany says that ''the UN Security Council's decision to provide MONUC with 6000 (additional) troops to track down, disarm and repatriate the FDLR by all means will trigger internal and external conflicts if the root cause of the problem is not addressed''. FDLR troops have made a number of claims that they are not criminals, they have never been an obstacle to the DRC peace process and have never refused to return to Rwanda. The point is that ''Rwandan Government has rejected FDLR's dialogue offer''. Accordingly, they have called on the UN Secretary-General to ''get General Paul Kagame to accept peace talks between his government and FDLR which is the key counterbalance for peace''.
In another development, LE POTENTIEL announces a predictable cabinet reshuffle. The paper considers that the ministers named in the embezzlement and misappropriation of public funds in public firms could face justice after this reshuffle, referring to the official communiqué issued by President Kabila in which he reiterates his determination to preserve moral values. ''This is indicative of a cabinet reshuffle'', the paper writes.
FORUM DES AS says, accused ministers allegedly threaten to ''disclose the truth''. According the paper, ''those ministers rightly or wrongly believe that they were wrongly implicated in the mismanagement of the public firms and accordingly, would not offer themselves as a victim of holocaust. They vow not to die alone''. The paper considers that ''very few Congolese leaders will escape clean''.
Responding to Senate's oral questions on insecurity in North Kivu, the Interior Minister, Théophile Bemba recognized that ''the situation was serious and likely to undermine the elections''. The insecurity is caused by ''uncontrolled armed elements, mistrust between communities living together, the repercussion of Nkunda's rebellion, ethnic conflicts, negative forces (Rwandan, Burundian and Ugandan)'''. L'AVENIR, in turn, says that for the Interior Minister, ''North Kivu insecurity is a military problem that needs a military solution''.
LA REFERENCE PLUS raises MONUC's indignation about Rwanda's threats, noting that the Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for the DRC, William Swing, initiated intensive diplomatic activities to the UN, the African Union, South Africa in this regard, to deter Rwanda from implementing its threats. A joint communiqué conveying the international community's reaction will be shortly made public, the paper reports.
LE PALMARES says, thanks to Mr. Swing whom it refers to as ''eternal shield'' the tragedy has just been avoided. The paper goes on to say that he even called on ''the Senegalese President, Abdoulaye Wade to pressure Paul Kagame, his guest''. The paper further recalls that Rwanda has voiced its intention to attack FDLR in the DRC territory at a time when both countries have signed agreements with respect to borders control and lastly in Dar es-Salaam a declaration pledging to ensure peace, security and development in the Great Lakes region. The paper therefore says that for President Kagame, ''the agreements are just play-acting''.
LE POTENTIEL raises the UN Security Council's visit to the Great Lakes region recalling that the latter visited Kigali last week and held talks with Rwandan officials about sensitive points such as the disarmament of Rwandan armed extremists. Mr. Jean-Marc de la Sablière, head of the Security Council delegation estimated that ''the DRC Government, backed by MONUC, is ever determined to demobilise the rebels'on the basis of voluntary disarmament''. Rwanda, for its part, declared that it was ''ready to collaborate with the DRC in disarming the Interahamwe, should the DRC government make the official request''.
Against this background, L'AVENIR publishes an open letter addressed by FDLR to Kofi Annan. The FDLR's declaration signed from Bonn, Germany says that ''the UN Security Council's decision to provide MONUC with 6000 (additional) troops to track down, disarm and repatriate the FDLR by all means will trigger internal and external conflicts if the root cause of the problem is not addressed''. FDLR troops have made a number of claims that they are not criminals, they have never been an obstacle to the DRC peace process and have never refused to return to Rwanda. The point is that ''Rwandan Government has rejected FDLR's dialogue offer''. Accordingly, they have called on the UN Secretary-General to ''get General Paul Kagame to accept peace talks between his government and FDLR which is the key counterbalance for peace''.
In another development, LE POTENTIEL announces a predictable cabinet reshuffle. The paper considers that the ministers named in the embezzlement and misappropriation of public funds in public firms could face justice after this reshuffle, referring to the official communiqué issued by President Kabila in which he reiterates his determination to preserve moral values. ''This is indicative of a cabinet reshuffle'', the paper writes.
FORUM DES AS says, accused ministers allegedly threaten to ''disclose the truth''. According the paper, ''those ministers rightly or wrongly believe that they were wrongly implicated in the mismanagement of the public firms and accordingly, would not offer themselves as a victim of holocaust. They vow not to die alone''. The paper considers that ''very few Congolese leaders will escape clean''.
Responding to Senate's oral questions on insecurity in North Kivu, the Interior Minister, Théophile Bemba recognized that ''the situation was serious and likely to undermine the elections''. The insecurity is caused by ''uncontrolled armed elements, mistrust between communities living together, the repercussion of Nkunda's rebellion, ethnic conflicts, negative forces (Rwandan, Burundian and Ugandan)'''. L'AVENIR, in turn, says that for the Interior Minister, ''North Kivu insecurity is a military problem that needs a military solution''.
