Posts Tagged ‘Democratic Republic of Congo’
March 21st, 2012
A private television station in the
Democratic Republic of Congo was stormed by
unidentified men yesterday morning. Radio Télévision Kindu Maniema (RTKM) who broadcast from the capital of Maniema province was attacked by a group of men, who set fire to the station’s satellite antenna, and damaged the station’s offices. Programme presenter Mira Dipenge went into hiding five days ago, fearing he would be arrested following orders from the governor of the province, Tutu Salumu. In early February, Salumu ordered station management stop broadcasting call-in programmes in which callers could criticise his management of the province.
January 12th, 2012
Two privately owned
Congolese newspapers were
suspended on 5 January. The order for suspension came from the director of the provincial media authority of Orientale, on the grounds that the Kisangani based Journal de la paix and Kisangani News violated a 1996 law establishing the “conditions for the operation of a free press in the DRC.” According to reports, a week prior to the suspension, Kisangani News editor-in-chief Sébastien Mulumba was called to the home of provincial governor Médard Autsai Asenga after the paper criticised the provincial government. Editor-in-chief of Journal de la paix Grégoire Ngubu claimed that he was threatened by the Asenga’s supporters. The recently created Congolese media regulation body, Higher Council for Broadcasting and Communications (CSAC) has already come
under fire from local rights groups, who called for the council to be disbanded, on the grounds that it has proven to be “incapable of assuming its independence” following “numerous cases of interference by politicians and security services in the affairs of the media.”
January 5th, 2012
A French government-funded radio station has been
shut down by authorities in the
Democratic Republic of Congo. The Council of Ministers had ordered the “temporary” measure of switching off the six frequencies of Radio France Internationale, following its coverage of the violent aftermath of the November 2011 presidential elections. The frequencies will be suspended until the Congolese Broadcasting and Communications Superior Council, the new state-run media regulatory agency, has issued a decision on its reinstatement.
December 12th, 2011
Seven people arrested at a
London demonstration over the
election result in the
Democratic Republic of Congo have been charged. One hundred and thirty-nine people
were arrested during Saturday’s demonstration which began at Whitehall and spread to Trafalgar Square. 116 people remain in custody, whilst seven have been charged with various offences, including obstructing the highway, breaching the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act and one assault on police. So far, 10 others who were arrested have been bailed to return pending further inquiries, and three were released with no further action.
September 8th, 2011
Studios of a
private television station in
Congo were set alight yesterday. Radio Lisanga Télévision studios in Kinshasa were allegedly set on fire by a group of men throwing tear gas, petrol bombs and incendiary grenades into the building. The station has aired programmes in favour of the opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi and it is believed that one of the assailants was a member of the youth league of President Joseph Kabila. Two employees escaped from the building from the roof. Press freedom watchdogs have registered concern about the safety of journalists in Congo in the run-up to the presidential elections.
February 9th, 2011
Local authorities have
shut down a community radio station, Radio du Peuple Oïcha, after callers to a phone-in show criticised the local security situation following a spate of murders and robberies in the area. On 3 February, a day after the phone-in broadcast, the deputy administrator of the area ordered the radio station’s closed until further notice.
October 14th, 2010
A Congolese journalist who was arrested on 7 October has been
charged with defamation. Kasereka Taipa, who works for local radio station Moto Oicha, and also reports for radio Victoire Horizon, had accused the national intelligence agency (ANR) of levying a tax on anyone wanting to build a permanent structure. After being detained at ANR regional headquarters for four days, Taipa has now been released. His trial begins on 15 October.
August 2nd, 2010
Three opposition radio and television stations
were silenced for 48 hours on 26 July without a reason by a commando unit of five men in Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The signals of Canal Congo Télévision (CCTV), Canal Kin Télévision (CKTV) and Radio Liberté Kinshasa (RALIK) were cut off. However no equipment was damaged or taken.
