ONU
Nations Unies Maintien de la paix
6 mar
2009
Press Review
The Gatumba massacre, in which over a hundred Banyamulenge refugees were slaughtered, continues to be commented by Kinshasa local press.« Due to the severe blow dealt to the peace process, it becomes imperative to stop for a while and sort out all the outstanding issues. The transition's shareholders must meet again around a table to reflect on the recent terrible events. With tearful eyes, in a chocked voice, the Vice-President warned that reconciliation was essential to the transitional process, which is now under serious threat and there is no more point in hiding it», writes LE PHARE under the title: Mr. Azarias Ruberwa warns: « the peace process has come to a standstill and the Gatumba will certainly impact on the DRC and Burundi peace processes ».
The paper covers the funerals of the 161 Congolese refugees of Tutsi origin slaughtered in Burundi, « victims of their facies or their language which originates from a neighbouring country». The ceremony was attended by « a huge crowd from all parts of Bujumbura » and political figures and officials from Kinshasa, notably Ministers, Deputy Ministers, MPs, Nord-Kivu Governor and President Kabila's Special Security Advisor. The smelling bodies were buried in « a 20-meter long and 1.5 meter high mass grave». The paper adds that about fifty people filed past the mass grave carrying each a placard reading «ONUB, go home », aimed at the UN mission in Burundi.
The Congolese Vice-President told the survivors that the Transition Government was determined to bring them back home, «by all means, proudly speaking like a worthy son of the Banyamulenge community under threat of being wiped out from the land of their ancestors», reports the paper. The Banyamulenge community has urged the Transitional Government to assume its duties of protecting all the communities in the country, more particularly the minority groups; the Burundian President, Domitien Ndayizeye, declared that his country will no longer tolerate any violation of its territorial integrity and demanded an international investigation, LE PHARE highlights.
Politicisation of funerals: Kigali threatens to intervene, further titles the paper, echoing the declarations issued by the Rwandan minister of Interior, Christophe Bazivamo: «Rwanda is ready to fly to rescue and intervene (') to stop further genocide and calm the populations like in Darfour ». In the same development, L'AVENIR titles: the Gatumba victims buried against the background of political crisis. The paper also reflects the Burundian's reaction. « If Domitien Ndayizeye has the intention of conquering Kivu, let him learn from Rwanda, its neighbour, how it suffered an overwhelming defeat early last June», warns the paper which is persuaded that the Gatumba massacre « is just a pretext for the Rwandan and Burundian coalition to launch a new attack on the DRC».
Kagame threatens to launch a new invasion of the DRC, says LE PALMARES, « as if the Congolese massacre in the Burundian territory was above all a Rwandan's business, while the DRC and Burundi are the ones who should feel challenged by the events». The paper is hugely indebted to the Congolese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ramazani Baya who « deplored the culture of threat and violence which Rwanda is so fond of vis-à-vis the DRC».
« Gatumba massacre»: The Head of State and «the patriot's camp» are challenged, says FORUM DES AS. «The Congolese President and his political party has no communicational strategy to defend themselves in reaction to the threat of invasion (') just like the winning Hannibal who was unable to exploit his victories, his rivals are using the Gatumba massacre to call into question the FARDC (DRC Armed Forces), the Maï-Maï and the FNL (Forces Nationales de Libération/Burundi) », the paper writes, deploring the absence of pre-emptive policy and denouncing the « highly mediatized» war by the « DRC aggressors».
« Openly and publicly, one component is imposing its rule on the others as if they were under its thumb, as it wishes», writes LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES, announcing that Rwandan Minister of Foreign Affairs will be visiting Kinshasa shortly. The paper says that « this may delay the implementation of its Government's threat to send its troops to DRC to track down the Interahamwe, issued 24 hours after the Gatumba massacres, ».
Lack of pre-emptive capacity, also titles LE POTENTIEL, deploring « the dysfunction of the Government institutions to protect its people and their properties». In light of the Gatumba massacre, « the Kivu events, the Bukavu fighting and the dissidence by RCD officers», the Congolese Government must now adopt a « pre-emptive policy to prepare for all eventualities». The paper wonders: « How can a commando leave a country, cross the border into another country and operate undetected' Why did not they anticipate such an action, if it is really DRC commando, why should not Burundi exchange intelligence with the DRC for a joint action' How can Bujumbura justify the slaughtering of hundreds Congolese people near a military camp without any intervention from the Burundian troops' ». It also wonders how the Burundian President and Congolese Vice-President could hurriedly name the Maï-Maï of the FARDC as the perpetrators of the massacre « while the Burundian rebels claims responsibility for the killing». The paper entirely agrees with the United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, who calls on « the sub-regional countries to show restraint» and to « contribute to the UN mission in identifying the killers».
LE POTENTIEL says, « To stop such horror the leaders of the Great Lake region should be empowered to better handle their internal conflicts». It calls on the DRC to take up the challenge of the Inter Congolese talks by accelerating « the building of democratic and reliable institutions» in order to effectively address all the issues related to security, territorial integrity and development. The paper asks Rwanda to definitely turn the page « of the genocidaires' myth» in favour of «true national principles conducive to peaceful cohabitation between the Tutsi, Hutu and Twa. The Interahamwe problem would be resolved if Kigali decided to promote dialogue and forgiveness». The paper calls on Burundi to cool « their bellicose ardour » and favour inter-Burundians talks in order to carry through their transition. « It must sort out its internal conflicts to avoid making their neighbours scapegoats for their problems», the paper highlights.
LA REFERENCE PLUS says that Gatumba is a Congolese island, quoting Léonard Kambere, a Congolese researcher who 'has wiped out the allegations of aggression of DRC attacking Burundi ». He declared that Gatumba, which would actually be Katumba, is a « very petroleum-rich» island, which, as of 1967, was « part of the Congolese territory».
The Congolese Vice-President told the survivors that the Transition Government was determined to bring them back home, «by all means, proudly speaking like a worthy son of the Banyamulenge community under threat of being wiped out from the land of their ancestors», reports the paper. The Banyamulenge community has urged the Transitional Government to assume its duties of protecting all the communities in the country, more particularly the minority groups; the Burundian President, Domitien Ndayizeye, declared that his country will no longer tolerate any violation of its territorial integrity and demanded an international investigation, LE PHARE highlights.
Politicisation of funerals: Kigali threatens to intervene, further titles the paper, echoing the declarations issued by the Rwandan minister of Interior, Christophe Bazivamo: «Rwanda is ready to fly to rescue and intervene (') to stop further genocide and calm the populations like in Darfour ». In the same development, L'AVENIR titles: the Gatumba victims buried against the background of political crisis. The paper also reflects the Burundian's reaction. « If Domitien Ndayizeye has the intention of conquering Kivu, let him learn from Rwanda, its neighbour, how it suffered an overwhelming defeat early last June», warns the paper which is persuaded that the Gatumba massacre « is just a pretext for the Rwandan and Burundian coalition to launch a new attack on the DRC».
Kagame threatens to launch a new invasion of the DRC, says LE PALMARES, « as if the Congolese massacre in the Burundian territory was above all a Rwandan's business, while the DRC and Burundi are the ones who should feel challenged by the events». The paper is hugely indebted to the Congolese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ramazani Baya who « deplored the culture of threat and violence which Rwanda is so fond of vis-à-vis the DRC».
« Gatumba massacre»: The Head of State and «the patriot's camp» are challenged, says FORUM DES AS. «The Congolese President and his political party has no communicational strategy to defend themselves in reaction to the threat of invasion (') just like the winning Hannibal who was unable to exploit his victories, his rivals are using the Gatumba massacre to call into question the FARDC (DRC Armed Forces), the Maï-Maï and the FNL (Forces Nationales de Libération/Burundi) », the paper writes, deploring the absence of pre-emptive policy and denouncing the « highly mediatized» war by the « DRC aggressors».
« Openly and publicly, one component is imposing its rule on the others as if they were under its thumb, as it wishes», writes LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES, announcing that Rwandan Minister of Foreign Affairs will be visiting Kinshasa shortly. The paper says that « this may delay the implementation of its Government's threat to send its troops to DRC to track down the Interahamwe, issued 24 hours after the Gatumba massacres, ».
Lack of pre-emptive capacity, also titles LE POTENTIEL, deploring « the dysfunction of the Government institutions to protect its people and their properties». In light of the Gatumba massacre, « the Kivu events, the Bukavu fighting and the dissidence by RCD officers», the Congolese Government must now adopt a « pre-emptive policy to prepare for all eventualities». The paper wonders: « How can a commando leave a country, cross the border into another country and operate undetected' Why did not they anticipate such an action, if it is really DRC commando, why should not Burundi exchange intelligence with the DRC for a joint action' How can Bujumbura justify the slaughtering of hundreds Congolese people near a military camp without any intervention from the Burundian troops' ». It also wonders how the Burundian President and Congolese Vice-President could hurriedly name the Maï-Maï of the FARDC as the perpetrators of the massacre « while the Burundian rebels claims responsibility for the killing». The paper entirely agrees with the United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, who calls on « the sub-regional countries to show restraint» and to « contribute to the UN mission in identifying the killers».
LE POTENTIEL says, « To stop such horror the leaders of the Great Lake region should be empowered to better handle their internal conflicts». It calls on the DRC to take up the challenge of the Inter Congolese talks by accelerating « the building of democratic and reliable institutions» in order to effectively address all the issues related to security, territorial integrity and development. The paper asks Rwanda to definitely turn the page « of the genocidaires' myth» in favour of «true national principles conducive to peaceful cohabitation between the Tutsi, Hutu and Twa. The Interahamwe problem would be resolved if Kigali decided to promote dialogue and forgiveness». The paper calls on Burundi to cool « their bellicose ardour » and favour inter-Burundians talks in order to carry through their transition. « It must sort out its internal conflicts to avoid making their neighbours scapegoats for their problems», the paper highlights.
LA REFERENCE PLUS says that Gatumba is a Congolese island, quoting Léonard Kambere, a Congolese researcher who 'has wiped out the allegations of aggression of DRC attacking Burundi ». He declared that Gatumba, which would actually be Katumba, is a « very petroleum-rich» island, which, as of 1967, was « part of the Congolese territory».
