Press Review 4 February 2005
Referring to the Ituri district, LA REFERENCE PLUS writes «The Government (has) made a concession to Monuc ». The paper quotes its local dignitaries as declaring «the district of Ituri is ruled by the transition's government like the fifth wheel of a vehicle which they have handed to Monuc». The dignitaries «blame Monuc» for the clashes between Ituri armed groups denounced by the UN mission's 2 February 2005 news conference, indicating «the UN mission has plunged the region into the prevailing anarchy» for failing to «report all the killings that take place there. In the case of the district of Tchée, its report comes after they denounced it», the paper says. The paper quotes some members of the 'Front des Nationalistes Intégrationnistes, FNI' as declaring that «MONUC attempted to get some FNI members to flare up new violence in Ituri; we have noted that they live on armed conflicts », the paper says, alluding to the same statement.
LE PHARE goes back over MONUC's press release denouncing the disinformation campaign by some Congolese medias and in which it makes the following clarifying statement: «no Rwandan is listed among MONUC's civilian and military staff, lamenting the fact that some medias have echoed false statements thereby showing their journalistic incompetence, dishonesty and disregard for readers».
LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES announces the closing of the inter-institutional workshop on the electoral calendar this Friday. «It will either make or break today», the paper says, adding, «The outcome of the meeting held in camera will be revealed by key entities today». In the same development, LE POTENTIEL says, « it is most likely that they disclose the electoral calendar today», alluding to «the Iraqi scheme» amidst « bombing; Iraqi people have yet elected their leaders to legitimately rule Iraq».