MEDIA REACTION DROC; HARARE

UNCLAS HARARE 000679 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/PDPA FOR DALTON, MITCHELL AND SIMS IRAQ PD FOR SMITH, PINESS AND ROOKARD NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER LONDON FOR GURNEY PARIS FOR NEARY NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KPAO KMDR ZI SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION DROC; HARARE ¶1. The April 4 and 6 editions of the pro-government daily "The Daily Mirror" and its sister weekly "The Sunday Mirror," respectively, dedicated editorial space to comment on the significance of the DRC peace agreement signed in South Africa last week. Editorial excerpts follow: ¶2. Under headline "Allow peace to prevail in the DRC" the pro-government daily "The Daily Mirror" (04/04) comments: "The historic signing of a peace agreement this week by warring parties in the DRC should usher the country. . .into an era of peace, reconciliation and reconstruction. . . What makes the peace deal more promising. . .is that the agreement addresses the concerns and needs of all parties to the conflict. . . Concerted efforts should be made to pressure Rwanda not to disturb the peace in the DRC. . . Rwanda should learn to respect the sovereignty of other nations. . . The Congolese people should remember that, their destiny and that of their country, is in their own hands." ¶3. Under headline "DRC adopts new Constitution" the pro-government weekly "The Sunday Mirror" (04/06) comments: "President Joseph Kabila has ratified a transitional constitution that is part of a power-sharing agreement with rebels intended to end four and half years of civil war. By giving his presidential assent to the constitution, Kabila has committed himself to a transitional government expected to bring insurgent leaders from their far-flung strongholds to Congo's capital, Kinshasa. The ratification has extinguished simmering doubts over the prospects of a genuine peaceful settlement to the Congo crisis that had been fueled by Kabila's absence from the signing ceremony of the peace deal in Sun City, South Africa, on Wednesday last week. . ." SULLIVAN