Press Review of 24 May 2006

The 32 mercenaries presented by the Government at the Provincial Police Inspection is the lead story in today's local papers.

"The Minister of Home Affairs, Decentralization and Security presented to the press on Tuesday 23 May at the Provincial Police Inspection 32 mercenaries who entered the DRC secretly through a gardening firm known as Omega," writes L'Observateur.

L'Observateur says, "The Omega firm brings into DRC foreign troops for an American Intelligence and Investigation firm," echoing the Minister of Home Affairs who further indicated that their mission was to end on 30 June.

Le Palmarès accuses "a presidential candidate of being involved in the dossier and holding an American nationality." The paper further says, the presidential candidate returned from France last 13 May.

Le Phare does not believe the Minister's version of facts and wonders whether this "umpteenth plot will not like the previous remain open." The paper does not however rules out the possibility of a putsch, but refers to an attempt to "sideline a candidate from the run-up for the presidential elections."

Le Potentiel, as far as concerned, is very sceptical and urges the "Minister of Home Affairs to further clarify the issue" in so far as this would "cause a surge of political tensions in Kinshasa."