UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
5 Mar
2009
Press Review
The 'Rassemblement Congolais pour la Démocratie' (RCD) faces threats of rebellion from Laurent Nkunda and Jules Mutebutsi, a situation that gives rise to contradictory comments in today's local papers in Kinshasa. They also refer to MONUC's preliminary report which rules out the possibility of genocide in Bukavu.
The founding body of the RCD held an extraordinary meeting on 13 to 16 June to assess the ongoing transitional process, reports LE POTENTIEL. The paper reveals that ''besides the virulent reaction to the attempts to overthrow established institutions, the founders did not unambiguously condemn general Nkunda and colonel Mutebutsi's dissidence, nor the exactions committed by both officers during the fighting with the regular army in Bukavu''. The paper explains that ''instead of clearly disassociating from Nkunda and Mutebutsi who claim to still be members of their original RCD movement, they merely condemned the clashes between the FARDC troops''. This leads the paper to say that RCD is blowing hot and cold.
Yet LA REFERENCE PLUS announces that RCD disowns Laurent Nkunda and Eric Lenge (perpetrators of the recent coup attempt in Kinshasa). The paper adds that after being confronted with political hardships for a few weeks, with the dissidence, followed by insurrection of two of his former officers, Laurent Nkunda and Jules Mutebutsi, the ''pro-Rwandan ex-rebellion very clearly disowned the insurgents in Bukavu as well as the aborted coup attempt perpetrated by Major Eric Lenge''. The paper further notes that the declaration of the RCD founders' college ''reiterates this party's goodwill to carry through the process (transition), ruling out all possibility for any review of the Constitution and the Sun City agreement''.
LE PHARE confirms RCD's commitment to the Transition's process but reveals that the former rebel movement must as of now face ''collateral damages of Nkunda's dossier (which) go on and on'', especially alluding to the birth of a renovating wing which reportedly threatens Azarias Ruberwa. The paper announces indeed that '' a tiny group of three MPs, members of this party'' have quit demanding ''an unconditional dissolution of the founders 'college and the convening of an extraordinary congress for the designation of new leaders''. FORUM DES AS reports that RCD (is) on the brink of implosion. The paper mentions the split in the RCD's leadership within the Government. It estimates that ''these early warning signs show how some RCD members are more and more attempting to distance themselves from their Kinyaranda-speaking colleagues''. The paper quotes Katebe Katoto, a wealthy businessman from Katanga, as being one of the ''masterminds of this revolutionary wing of the RCD'' who ''disassociates himself from the one who is always ready to use weapons whenever Kigali requests so''. This leads LE PALMARES to write that RCD is shattered and the political group is now made up of a ''Congolese RCD'', a renovating wing and a pro-Rwandan RCD. L'AVENIR puts the Vice-President Ruberwa and the members of his party in the second group, and reports that they are trying to sabotage the transition.
In the meantime, the Rwandan army is preparing to return to Kivu, says LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES. The paper echoes the declaration made by Rwandan minister of foreign affaires, Mr. Charles Murigande, who ''accuses the FARDC of using the Interahamwe and the ex-Far in their struggle against the insurgents from the Congolese army commanded by general Nkunda and colonel Mutebutsi''.
This Friday in Brussels, the Congolese crisis (will be) at the centre of the European Union leaders' meeting, announces L'OBSERVATEUR. As a prelude to this meeting, the Congolese minister of foreign affairs, Antoine Ghonda, was received yesterday in Brussels by the president of the European Commission, Romano Prodi. L'OBSERVATEUR indicates that during the talks, both men discussed the rebellion conducted by both Nkunda and Mutebutsi. ''The Congolese minister Antoine Ghonda requested from the European Union that both officers be brought to the International court (Laurent Nkunda and Jules Mutebutsi) for committing exactions on the population in Bukavu'', reports the paper.
MONUC's preliminary report rules out any possibility of genocide in Bukavu, indicates LE POTENTIEL. Quoting the head of Monuc's Human Right section, the paper notes that ''the preliminary information of the investigations indicates that all the communities in Bukavu, especially the civilians, were affected by the recent fighting''. The paper highlights in its editorial that reports by Monuc and other Human rights NGOs agree that civilians were indiscriminately victims of massacres in Bukavu from the regular army troops as well as dissidents. It makes a clear difference between genocide and massacre, explaining that a genocide is reported when there is ''excessive extermination of an ethnic group'' and a massacre when there is ''mass killing of defenceless people with brutality''.
Yet LA REFERENCE PLUS announces that RCD disowns Laurent Nkunda and Eric Lenge (perpetrators of the recent coup attempt in Kinshasa). The paper adds that after being confronted with political hardships for a few weeks, with the dissidence, followed by insurrection of two of his former officers, Laurent Nkunda and Jules Mutebutsi, the ''pro-Rwandan ex-rebellion very clearly disowned the insurgents in Bukavu as well as the aborted coup attempt perpetrated by Major Eric Lenge''. The paper further notes that the declaration of the RCD founders' college ''reiterates this party's goodwill to carry through the process (transition), ruling out all possibility for any review of the Constitution and the Sun City agreement''.
LE PHARE confirms RCD's commitment to the Transition's process but reveals that the former rebel movement must as of now face ''collateral damages of Nkunda's dossier (which) go on and on'', especially alluding to the birth of a renovating wing which reportedly threatens Azarias Ruberwa. The paper announces indeed that '' a tiny group of three MPs, members of this party'' have quit demanding ''an unconditional dissolution of the founders 'college and the convening of an extraordinary congress for the designation of new leaders''. FORUM DES AS reports that RCD (is) on the brink of implosion. The paper mentions the split in the RCD's leadership within the Government. It estimates that ''these early warning signs show how some RCD members are more and more attempting to distance themselves from their Kinyaranda-speaking colleagues''. The paper quotes Katebe Katoto, a wealthy businessman from Katanga, as being one of the ''masterminds of this revolutionary wing of the RCD'' who ''disassociates himself from the one who is always ready to use weapons whenever Kigali requests so''. This leads LE PALMARES to write that RCD is shattered and the political group is now made up of a ''Congolese RCD'', a renovating wing and a pro-Rwandan RCD. L'AVENIR puts the Vice-President Ruberwa and the members of his party in the second group, and reports that they are trying to sabotage the transition.
In the meantime, the Rwandan army is preparing to return to Kivu, says LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES. The paper echoes the declaration made by Rwandan minister of foreign affaires, Mr. Charles Murigande, who ''accuses the FARDC of using the Interahamwe and the ex-Far in their struggle against the insurgents from the Congolese army commanded by general Nkunda and colonel Mutebutsi''.
This Friday in Brussels, the Congolese crisis (will be) at the centre of the European Union leaders' meeting, announces L'OBSERVATEUR. As a prelude to this meeting, the Congolese minister of foreign affairs, Antoine Ghonda, was received yesterday in Brussels by the president of the European Commission, Romano Prodi. L'OBSERVATEUR indicates that during the talks, both men discussed the rebellion conducted by both Nkunda and Mutebutsi. ''The Congolese minister Antoine Ghonda requested from the European Union that both officers be brought to the International court (Laurent Nkunda and Jules Mutebutsi) for committing exactions on the population in Bukavu'', reports the paper.
MONUC's preliminary report rules out any possibility of genocide in Bukavu, indicates LE POTENTIEL. Quoting the head of Monuc's Human Right section, the paper notes that ''the preliminary information of the investigations indicates that all the communities in Bukavu, especially the civilians, were affected by the recent fighting''. The paper highlights in its editorial that reports by Monuc and other Human rights NGOs agree that civilians were indiscriminately victims of massacres in Bukavu from the regular army troops as well as dissidents. It makes a clear difference between genocide and massacre, explaining that a genocide is reported when there is ''excessive extermination of an ethnic group'' and a massacre when there is ''mass killing of defenceless people with brutality''.
