UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
5 Mar
2009
Press Review
Today's local papers in Kinshasa focus on the third African Union (AU) summit in Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia, more particularly the mini summit on the crisis between the DRC and Rwanda.
Commenting the third African Union summit opened last Tuesday in Addis-Ababa and attended by forty African presidents, La Tempête des Tropiques reports the participation of the United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, ''whose organisation contributes to efforts for the resolution of African crises''. The paper further says that the current AU summit ''will attempt to sort out the serious crises in Darfour, West Sudan, Côte d'Ivoire and the Democratic Republic of Congo''. With regard to the DRC crisis, the paper says that a mini summit was held yesterday in Addis Ababa, under the auspices of the African Union. The Presidents of Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, South Africa and Mozambique attended the meeting. ''Joseph Kabila, unable to attend the meeting, was represented by his Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antoine Ghonda'', the paper says, adding that the objective of the mini summit was to ''create a peaceful climate to defuse the current tensions between the DRC and Rwanda''. Minister Ghonda used the opportunity to present the Congolese version of the real situation in the East after realizing that the chairman of the African Union Commission, Alpha Oumar Konare, ''was misled by Rwanda'', when he declared that ''Kigali was not directly implicated in the Bukavu events in the DRC'', the paper says.
In light of the above, DRC has reportedly threatened to quit the African Union. Le Palmarès quotes the DRC Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ghonda as declaring indignantly through the BBC that ''when our populations in the East and even the United Nations report the presence of foreign troops in DRC, the African Union, for its part, denies the fact, without dispatching any observer to scene''. It appeals to the AU to ''restore the balance of power'' and indicates that, ''without any balance of power, it does not see why the DRC should continue being part of this body''.
The AU Chairman's position clearing Rwanda of implication in the Bukavu crisis leads La Référence Plus to say that Joseph Kabila was demonised in Addis-Ababa. Le Palmarès therefore highlights the ''African Union has clearly shown its unacceptable impartiality'', stating that the UN has taken up the dossier. The paper further indicates that ''Kofi Annan personally presided over the mini summit when dealing with the crisis between the DRC and Rwanda''.
The mini summit decided to put in place a verification mechanism to address the conflicting issues and hold regular meetings to try to appease the current tensions between the DRC and Rwanda, La Référence Plus reports. The paper quotes the UN Under Secretary-General for Peacekeeping operations, Jean-Marie Guéhenno as declaring that ''the United Nations conjointly with the African Union would work out the verification mechanism'' and highlights that ''the team's role will be to verify allegations of the presence of Rwandan troops in DRC on one hand, and on the other, allegations of DRC support to ex-Far and Interahamwe'', it further says.
Le Phare says that the verification mechanism has been applauded by the DRC and regarded as a mean ''to destroy Rwanda's dear pretext justifying its presence in the DRC''. The paper also quotes different DRC cabinet officials in the meeting as declaring that the mechanism ''would be essential'' and 'the United Nations Secretary-General should enhance Monuc capacities in order to effectively stop the conflict''.
L'Observateur, in turn, reports new clashes between armed groups in Ituri. Quoting Monuc spokesman in Ituri, the paper indicates that ''the populations of the Avu, Rona, Ngote and Ndrele and Djegu villages are affected by the fight between the Forces armées populaires du Congo (FAPC) and Front des nationalistes intégrationnistes' recalling that ''the Ituri warlords signed an Act of Engagement on 14 May 2004 for a cessation of hostilities''. The paper further reports that a truce was observed yesterday, ''following a cease-fire signed by the two warring groups under Monuc auspices''.
FORUM DES AS goes back over the forecast cabinet reshuffle highlighting that it ''has not been made yet''. In this regard, the paper announces a number of changes made by PPRD and MLC. According to the paper, ''Jean-Pierre Mbemba, the uncontested MLC chief'is intending to get read of the MLC ministers out of his control'', whereas in PPRD, ''notable changes'' are also expected.
L'Avenir refers to a brewing ''storm'' in RCD-Goma, after the movement founders have decided to ''remove from their former Rwandan-backed rebel movement, three dissident MPS'', following ''the political declaration made by the latter criticizing their leader, Azarias Ruberwa, whom they suspected of playing a double game and expressing their surprise at his lack of reaction to the rebellion waged by General Laurent Nkunda in Bukavu''.
Le Potentiel, for its part, echoes the DRC Catholic Bishops' ultimatum calling on all the Congolese to ''back the transition which should lead them to a Rule of Law'', and demand that ''free, democratic and transparent elections be organised no later than 30 June 2005''.
In light of the above, DRC has reportedly threatened to quit the African Union. Le Palmarès quotes the DRC Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ghonda as declaring indignantly through the BBC that ''when our populations in the East and even the United Nations report the presence of foreign troops in DRC, the African Union, for its part, denies the fact, without dispatching any observer to scene''. It appeals to the AU to ''restore the balance of power'' and indicates that, ''without any balance of power, it does not see why the DRC should continue being part of this body''.
The AU Chairman's position clearing Rwanda of implication in the Bukavu crisis leads La Référence Plus to say that Joseph Kabila was demonised in Addis-Ababa. Le Palmarès therefore highlights the ''African Union has clearly shown its unacceptable impartiality'', stating that the UN has taken up the dossier. The paper further indicates that ''Kofi Annan personally presided over the mini summit when dealing with the crisis between the DRC and Rwanda''.
The mini summit decided to put in place a verification mechanism to address the conflicting issues and hold regular meetings to try to appease the current tensions between the DRC and Rwanda, La Référence Plus reports. The paper quotes the UN Under Secretary-General for Peacekeeping operations, Jean-Marie Guéhenno as declaring that ''the United Nations conjointly with the African Union would work out the verification mechanism'' and highlights that ''the team's role will be to verify allegations of the presence of Rwandan troops in DRC on one hand, and on the other, allegations of DRC support to ex-Far and Interahamwe'', it further says.
Le Phare says that the verification mechanism has been applauded by the DRC and regarded as a mean ''to destroy Rwanda's dear pretext justifying its presence in the DRC''. The paper also quotes different DRC cabinet officials in the meeting as declaring that the mechanism ''would be essential'' and 'the United Nations Secretary-General should enhance Monuc capacities in order to effectively stop the conflict''.
L'Observateur, in turn, reports new clashes between armed groups in Ituri. Quoting Monuc spokesman in Ituri, the paper indicates that ''the populations of the Avu, Rona, Ngote and Ndrele and Djegu villages are affected by the fight between the Forces armées populaires du Congo (FAPC) and Front des nationalistes intégrationnistes' recalling that ''the Ituri warlords signed an Act of Engagement on 14 May 2004 for a cessation of hostilities''. The paper further reports that a truce was observed yesterday, ''following a cease-fire signed by the two warring groups under Monuc auspices''.
FORUM DES AS goes back over the forecast cabinet reshuffle highlighting that it ''has not been made yet''. In this regard, the paper announces a number of changes made by PPRD and MLC. According to the paper, ''Jean-Pierre Mbemba, the uncontested MLC chief'is intending to get read of the MLC ministers out of his control'', whereas in PPRD, ''notable changes'' are also expected.
L'Avenir refers to a brewing ''storm'' in RCD-Goma, after the movement founders have decided to ''remove from their former Rwandan-backed rebel movement, three dissident MPS'', following ''the political declaration made by the latter criticizing their leader, Azarias Ruberwa, whom they suspected of playing a double game and expressing their surprise at his lack of reaction to the rebellion waged by General Laurent Nkunda in Bukavu''.
Le Potentiel, for its part, echoes the DRC Catholic Bishops' ultimatum calling on all the Congolese to ''back the transition which should lead them to a Rule of Law'', and demand that ''free, democratic and transparent elections be organised no later than 30 June 2005''.
