UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
5 Mar
2009
Press review
The 44th Independence of the DRC coinciding with the 1st year of its Transition as well as the series of nominations in the territorial administration are the dominant news covered by today's local press in Kinshasa. The papers also refer to MONUC's participation in the operation ''Kinshasa a cleaned-town'' launched by the town hall officials.
''This Wednesday 30 June, the Democratic Republic of Congo will celebrate its 44 years of independence'', LE POTENTIEL recalls, calling it a ''memorable date which will give an opportunity to the Congolese people to take a retrospective look at their past and to plan the future''. The paper further refers to it as ''a historical Day since it coincides with the first anniversary of the national unity government from the all-inclusive agreement that governs the 24-month transitional period''. After reviewing the management of the country during the post-colonial period, the paper headlines: 44 years wasted by the DRC. The paper further highlights that ''on 30 June 1960, Congo was a prosperous country having been spared by the hazards of the Second World War. It had a surplus balance of payment as it was exporting between 32 and 45% of its agricultural products''. Unfortunately, ''due to lack of political players able to meet the need of the Congolese people in light of its immense resources, the DRC fell off its pedestal''. According to the paper, ''the blame lies with the political leadership, which is perfectly manipulated by foreign powers''. The country was therefore ''plunged to a swirling of mutinies, coups d'Etat, secessions and armed rebellions''.
L'AVENIR, in turn, says, as usual, ''we will commemorate the Independence Day''. What are we going to celebrate this 30 June', the paper asks. The paper answers, it is ''the gaining of international sovereignty by our country'', but wonders whether the DRC is really a sovereign State. In an article entitled An independence in dependence, the paper writes that DRC is still not economically independent. L'AVENIR shares the same view with LE POTENTIEL, noting that the DRC is, after 44 years of its independence, ''in a less comfortable position than when it gained its sovereignty from the colonial power''. For the paper, the blame does not only lie with the political players alone. It also points an accusing finger at ''the population'' that ''refuse to pay the tax, easily loot, betray their country, contribute to a fast deterioration of the national infrastructures, are corrupt and accept to be corrupted'.''. The paper stresses that it is high time for the Congolese people ''to turn a new page and decide to build a more beautiful country''.
LA REFERENCE PLUS further announces that in the framework of the putting-in-place of the Territorial Administration, President Joseph Kabila has signed decrees naming the vice-governors of Kinshasa respectively for political and administrative matters and economic and financial matters. Both personalities, Mr. Laurent Batumona and Mbelu Biocha, are drawn from RCD and the Civil Society, the paper adds. The nominations are far from closing the issue on the territorial administration, L'AVENIR highlights, indicating that ''the third vice-governor of Kinshasa like the one of Equateur are still not named''. The Head of State also named a district commissioner and two deputies in Ituri as part of the integration of the national Police, the territorial administrators and their deputies as well as the chiefs of districts, the paper says.
Monuc and Kinshasa Town Hall have signed three memoranda of agreement for a codenamed operation Kin-Bopeto (a cleaned Kinshasa), FORUM DES AS reports. The paper says that by positively responding to the Kinshasa governor's call, ''Monuc meant to contribute to the noble initiative of improving the quality of life in Kinshasa. The paper underscores that Monuc will provide its support to the ''clean town'' operations in every district in the capital, which will involve the residents of Kinshasa.
LE PHARE specifies that the three memorandums of agreement concern the districts of Gombe, Kinshasa and Limeté. Monuc has disbursed 45,000 dollars to this end, the paper says. 'Each district will receive 15,000 dollars'', the paper further says, indicating that the UN Special Representative for the DRC, Mr. William Swing personally signed the memoranda of agreement for MONUC with the mayors of the three districts.
In another development, LE PHARE reports that Nkundabatware poses a threat to Goma, three weeks after his troops have pulled out of Bukavu. The paper reports that ''General Nkunda is preparing war''. According to the paper, the dissident general allegedly launched a recruiting campaign throughout North Kivu and ''would have already recruited over 600 people whose adherence was obtained in return for a modest amount of between 17 and 50 American dollars''.
L'AVENIR, in turn, says, as usual, ''we will commemorate the Independence Day''. What are we going to celebrate this 30 June', the paper asks. The paper answers, it is ''the gaining of international sovereignty by our country'', but wonders whether the DRC is really a sovereign State. In an article entitled An independence in dependence, the paper writes that DRC is still not economically independent. L'AVENIR shares the same view with LE POTENTIEL, noting that the DRC is, after 44 years of its independence, ''in a less comfortable position than when it gained its sovereignty from the colonial power''. For the paper, the blame does not only lie with the political players alone. It also points an accusing finger at ''the population'' that ''refuse to pay the tax, easily loot, betray their country, contribute to a fast deterioration of the national infrastructures, are corrupt and accept to be corrupted'.''. The paper stresses that it is high time for the Congolese people ''to turn a new page and decide to build a more beautiful country''.
LA REFERENCE PLUS further announces that in the framework of the putting-in-place of the Territorial Administration, President Joseph Kabila has signed decrees naming the vice-governors of Kinshasa respectively for political and administrative matters and economic and financial matters. Both personalities, Mr. Laurent Batumona and Mbelu Biocha, are drawn from RCD and the Civil Society, the paper adds. The nominations are far from closing the issue on the territorial administration, L'AVENIR highlights, indicating that ''the third vice-governor of Kinshasa like the one of Equateur are still not named''. The Head of State also named a district commissioner and two deputies in Ituri as part of the integration of the national Police, the territorial administrators and their deputies as well as the chiefs of districts, the paper says.
Monuc and Kinshasa Town Hall have signed three memoranda of agreement for a codenamed operation Kin-Bopeto (a cleaned Kinshasa), FORUM DES AS reports. The paper says that by positively responding to the Kinshasa governor's call, ''Monuc meant to contribute to the noble initiative of improving the quality of life in Kinshasa. The paper underscores that Monuc will provide its support to the ''clean town'' operations in every district in the capital, which will involve the residents of Kinshasa.
LE PHARE specifies that the three memorandums of agreement concern the districts of Gombe, Kinshasa and Limeté. Monuc has disbursed 45,000 dollars to this end, the paper says. 'Each district will receive 15,000 dollars'', the paper further says, indicating that the UN Special Representative for the DRC, Mr. William Swing personally signed the memoranda of agreement for MONUC with the mayors of the three districts.
In another development, LE PHARE reports that Nkundabatware poses a threat to Goma, three weeks after his troops have pulled out of Bukavu. The paper reports that ''General Nkunda is preparing war''. According to the paper, the dissident general allegedly launched a recruiting campaign throughout North Kivu and ''would have already recruited over 600 people whose adherence was obtained in return for a modest amount of between 17 and 50 American dollars''.
