UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
5 Mar
2009
Press Review
Three major issues hold the front pages of today's local papers: the absence of President Joseph Kabila from the African Union summit in Addis Ababa, debates about the alleged capture of Major Eric Lenge and the deadlocked cabinet reshuffle.
President Joseph Kabila is not travelling to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to attend the African Union summit due to start this Tuesday, Le Phare announces on its front page. The paper quotes the President's spokesman as declaring in this regard, ''President Kabila is not travelling to Addis Ababa due to the burning and urgent issues home awaiting to be finalised''. Referring to the instable situation in eastern DRC in his Monday news conference, Kudura Kasongo said ''it was not fully sorted out yet and the so-much awaited new government team was not yet in place''. «Joseph Kabila snubs the African Union», says Le Phare.
« The Democratic Republic of Congo is indignant about Konare's report», La Tempête des Tropiques says. The paper echoes the AU chairman's (Alpha Oumar Konare) position, ''clearing Kigali in the Bukavu and Kamanyola events.'' Le Potentiel recalls Kinshasa's reaction to Mr. Konare's statement Monday through Government's spokesman Mr. Vital Kamerhe, Minister of Information. The minister voiced DRC's surprise at ''Alpha Konare's position whom he blames for declaring that Rwanda was not directly implicated in the taking of Bukavu without any verification'', Agence France Presse (AFP) says.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is however represented in the Ethiopian capital by the minister of Foreign Affairs, Antoine Ghonda. Mr. Ghonda has called upon the African Union to use ''all its influence in order to prevent foreign interference in the DRC's affairs, wherever it comes from.'' He held that the two coup attempts in March and June and the Bukavu events were « plotted by the Congolese with the assistance of foreign powers. »
In Kinshasa, President Joseph Kabila's spokesman went back over the 11 June coup attempt masterminded by Major Eric Lenge, indicating that to date, the board of inquiry has interrogated 63 people, except the key coup plotter, Eric Lenge «who is still wanted for arrest and judgment», Kudura Kasongo declared. Le Phare quotes the President's spokesman as denied what he referred to as ''speculations about Eric Lenge's whereabouts, who was seen by some people in Belgium, in France by others, and in an Embassy in Kinshasa by others.''
« Eric Lenge was not arrested in Brazzaville: he is still on the run», headlines Le Palmarès. « Contrary to VSV (la Voix des Sans Voix)'s allegations, Eric Lenge is still on the run», La Référence Plus writes. According to the President's spokesman, « the fugitive will soon be arrested. »
With regards to the technical reshuffle announced by President Joseph Kabila on 30 June 2004, « the new government is not named because components and entities are dragging feet», Le Phare reports.
« Joseph Kabila is stuck», L'AVENIR highlights « components and entities do not seem to hurry up and submit the names of their new members to the Head of State. » The paper comments « Knowing the nonchalance of the Government institutions, they will need another eternity since in monolithic components no one is really willing to quit the Government. »
In the meantime, President Joseph Kabila has completed the putting in place of Governors and Vice-Governors through Monday decrees naming Mr. Binda Fumu Malonda as Vice-Governor of Kinshasa for Reconstruction and Development affairs and Ernest Bokula as Vice-Governor of Equator province in charge of Economic, Financial and Development affairs, Le Palmarès reports.
« The Democratic Republic of Congo is indignant about Konare's report», La Tempête des Tropiques says. The paper echoes the AU chairman's (Alpha Oumar Konare) position, ''clearing Kigali in the Bukavu and Kamanyola events.'' Le Potentiel recalls Kinshasa's reaction to Mr. Konare's statement Monday through Government's spokesman Mr. Vital Kamerhe, Minister of Information. The minister voiced DRC's surprise at ''Alpha Konare's position whom he blames for declaring that Rwanda was not directly implicated in the taking of Bukavu without any verification'', Agence France Presse (AFP) says.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is however represented in the Ethiopian capital by the minister of Foreign Affairs, Antoine Ghonda. Mr. Ghonda has called upon the African Union to use ''all its influence in order to prevent foreign interference in the DRC's affairs, wherever it comes from.'' He held that the two coup attempts in March and June and the Bukavu events were « plotted by the Congolese with the assistance of foreign powers. »
In Kinshasa, President Joseph Kabila's spokesman went back over the 11 June coup attempt masterminded by Major Eric Lenge, indicating that to date, the board of inquiry has interrogated 63 people, except the key coup plotter, Eric Lenge «who is still wanted for arrest and judgment», Kudura Kasongo declared. Le Phare quotes the President's spokesman as denied what he referred to as ''speculations about Eric Lenge's whereabouts, who was seen by some people in Belgium, in France by others, and in an Embassy in Kinshasa by others.''
« Eric Lenge was not arrested in Brazzaville: he is still on the run», headlines Le Palmarès. « Contrary to VSV (la Voix des Sans Voix)'s allegations, Eric Lenge is still on the run», La Référence Plus writes. According to the President's spokesman, « the fugitive will soon be arrested. »
With regards to the technical reshuffle announced by President Joseph Kabila on 30 June 2004, « the new government is not named because components and entities are dragging feet», Le Phare reports.
« Joseph Kabila is stuck», L'AVENIR highlights « components and entities do not seem to hurry up and submit the names of their new members to the Head of State. » The paper comments « Knowing the nonchalance of the Government institutions, they will need another eternity since in monolithic components no one is really willing to quit the Government. »
In the meantime, President Joseph Kabila has completed the putting in place of Governors and Vice-Governors through Monday decrees naming Mr. Binda Fumu Malonda as Vice-Governor of Kinshasa for Reconstruction and Development affairs and Ernest Bokula as Vice-Governor of Equator province in charge of Economic, Financial and Development affairs, Le Palmarès reports.
