UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
5 Mar
2009
Press Review
Most of today's local papers in Kinshasa devote their headlines to yesterday's clashes in Bukavu. They also go back over the swearing-in of the new governors and vice-governors, amidst protests.
''Automatic weapons' cracklings and heavy weapons shots were heard yesterday in Bukavu, the administrative town of South Kivu and headquarters of the 10th military region of the DRC's Armed Forces''. The report is released by LE POTENTIEL, which indicates that there are several contradictory versions about the origin of the clashes. ''The first version mentions violent clashes pitting Congolese troops against Rwandan's'', says the paper, adding that Rwandan troops reportedly intervened to back their Congolese ''allies'' fighting the regular forces. The second version says, ''commandant Masunzu and his troops, based in Nguba district, allegedly attacked Bukavu following the rumours about the sacking of ministers Jean-Pierre Ondekane and Joseph Mudumbi of the Transitional government''. The paper mentions a third source indicating that the clashes pitted the troops of General Mbuza Mabe, the military region's commander against colonel Eric Ruhoringeri's troops; the latter is said to cross the border into Rwanda ''for banana-based spirit in Ciangungu''. Yesterday, however, the regular army troops allegedly prevented them from doing so, the paper says.
L'OBSERVATEUR puts forward another version of the story indicating that colonel Mutebutsi of the ex RCD army and his troops attempting to cross the border into Rwanda would have been prevented by Congolese soldiers posted along the border. ''Taken into custody, colonel Mutebutsi was then trying to escape being transferred to Kinshasa to account for his acts following the creation of a territorial administration''.
FORUM DES AS, as far as it is concerned, establishes a link between the tensions in Bukavu and the presence of Vice-president Azarias Ruberwa in Bujumbura. According to this paper, some of the RCD's troops not subject to any control of the 10th military region were reportedly trying to travel to Bujumbura, which Vice-president Ruberwa was visiting. ''Refusing to allow this military group, allied to the former pro-Rwandan rebel movement to make the trip, added to the tensions between the regular troops and the loyal troops to the suspended colonel Mutebutsi'', the paper indicates.
Reporting on the clashes, LA REFERENCE PLUS indicates that the number of victims was still unknown but reliable sources reported the death of Mr. Kabamba, the president of the Court of Appeal in Bukavu, killed in the fight.
''Appointed on 16 May, governors and vice-governors were sworn in yesterday by the Head of State and Government members'', L'AVENIR reports, adding that the ceremony was boycotted by the Rassemblement des Congolais démocrates et nationalistes (RCD-N) led by Roger Lumbala. This leads the paper to say that Lumbala is angry with Joseph Kabila and Jean-Pierre Bemba. LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES, which broaches the same issue, explains that Roger Lumbala, minister of Foreign Trade of the Transitional Government, explained that his act was justified by the fact that ''the list of his governors' candidates was not taken into consideration''. He reportedly denounced the ''Mouvement de Libération du Congo's strategy used, yet everything was fine up to the time he held talks with vice-president Jean-Pierre Bemba and the Head of State''.
Furthermore, LE PHARE says ''the dossier about corruption involving several ministers on reportedly initiated by the Head of State continues making waves among Congolese politicians''. The paper echoes legal experts' views according to whom ''accusation of government members should not be basically made by the head of state''. Alluding to the Transitional Constitution's clauses, the paper adds that ''only the lower chamber of the parliament is competent to bring a government member to justice for clearly specified charges''.
In another development, the same paper reports that yesterday's sit-in by ''the Parlement debout (Standing Parliament comprised of people who usually comment press articles in specific places in Kinshasa every morning)'' at MONUC HQ ended with a manhunt, ''the police having dispersed the demonstrators''. According to the paper, the members of the 'Parlement debout' reached MONUC headquarters but were prevented by police officers when they reached the Chinese embassy close to MONUC HQ. ''Without a single shot, the police managed to disperse the 'parlementaires debout', estimated at more or less 600 people, using military thin cords'', the paper indicates, noting that two demonstrators were arrested and thrown into a police jeep standing by.
L'OBSERVATEUR puts forward another version of the story indicating that colonel Mutebutsi of the ex RCD army and his troops attempting to cross the border into Rwanda would have been prevented by Congolese soldiers posted along the border. ''Taken into custody, colonel Mutebutsi was then trying to escape being transferred to Kinshasa to account for his acts following the creation of a territorial administration''.
FORUM DES AS, as far as it is concerned, establishes a link between the tensions in Bukavu and the presence of Vice-president Azarias Ruberwa in Bujumbura. According to this paper, some of the RCD's troops not subject to any control of the 10th military region were reportedly trying to travel to Bujumbura, which Vice-president Ruberwa was visiting. ''Refusing to allow this military group, allied to the former pro-Rwandan rebel movement to make the trip, added to the tensions between the regular troops and the loyal troops to the suspended colonel Mutebutsi'', the paper indicates.
Reporting on the clashes, LA REFERENCE PLUS indicates that the number of victims was still unknown but reliable sources reported the death of Mr. Kabamba, the president of the Court of Appeal in Bukavu, killed in the fight.
''Appointed on 16 May, governors and vice-governors were sworn in yesterday by the Head of State and Government members'', L'AVENIR reports, adding that the ceremony was boycotted by the Rassemblement des Congolais démocrates et nationalistes (RCD-N) led by Roger Lumbala. This leads the paper to say that Lumbala is angry with Joseph Kabila and Jean-Pierre Bemba. LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES, which broaches the same issue, explains that Roger Lumbala, minister of Foreign Trade of the Transitional Government, explained that his act was justified by the fact that ''the list of his governors' candidates was not taken into consideration''. He reportedly denounced the ''Mouvement de Libération du Congo's strategy used, yet everything was fine up to the time he held talks with vice-president Jean-Pierre Bemba and the Head of State''.
Furthermore, LE PHARE says ''the dossier about corruption involving several ministers on reportedly initiated by the Head of State continues making waves among Congolese politicians''. The paper echoes legal experts' views according to whom ''accusation of government members should not be basically made by the head of state''. Alluding to the Transitional Constitution's clauses, the paper adds that ''only the lower chamber of the parliament is competent to bring a government member to justice for clearly specified charges''.
In another development, the same paper reports that yesterday's sit-in by ''the Parlement debout (Standing Parliament comprised of people who usually comment press articles in specific places in Kinshasa every morning)'' at MONUC HQ ended with a manhunt, ''the police having dispersed the demonstrators''. According to the paper, the members of the 'Parlement debout' reached MONUC headquarters but were prevented by police officers when they reached the Chinese embassy close to MONUC HQ. ''Without a single shot, the police managed to disperse the 'parlementaires debout', estimated at more or less 600 people, using military thin cords'', the paper indicates, noting that two demonstrators were arrested and thrown into a police jeep standing by.
