Index on Censorship » Democratic Republic of Congo

DRC: Television station attacked, programme host in hiding

Alice Purkiss — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 16:12:23 +0000

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.

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DRC: Further blows to press freedom, despite new regulation body

Sara Yasin — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:54:43 +0000

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.”

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DRC: Radio broadcasts shut down

Alice Purkiss — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:30:55 +0000

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.

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UK: Seven charged after Congo protest in London

Alice Purkiss — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 13:01:46 +0000

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.

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DR Congo: TV station set ablaze

Alice Purkiss — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 13:23:03 +0000

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.

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DR Congo: Radio station closed for reporting crime spree

Intern — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 17:08:30 +0000

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.

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DRC: Radio journalist charged with defamation

Index on Censorship — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 14:36:08 +0000

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.

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Congo: Television and radio stations silenced for 48 hours

Index on Censorship — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 15:19:35 +0000

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.

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DRC: Police arrested over death of human rights activist

Index on Censorship — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 11:00:40 +0000

Two policemen have been arrested, and the country’s most senior policeman suspended from duty, after the death of a human rights activist in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “Voice of the Voiceless” campaigner Floribert Chebeya, whose body was discovered last week in a Kinshasa suburb, was last heard from shortly before attending a meeting ordered by the inspector general of the national police force, John Numbi. Following the arrest of two policemen suspected of killing Chebeya, Numbi was suspended on Sunday by the attorney general, to allow an internal investigation to take place. Chebeya’s death has prompted widespread international attention. Criticisms have also been raised over increased police harassment of human rights activists. Four DRC-based human rights campaigners have been murdered in the last four years.

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Congo: Human rights chief discovered dead

Intern — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 11:10:16 +0000

Floribert Chebeya, 47, the president of the human rights organisation La Voix des Sans-voix (Voice of the Voiceless) has been found dead in his car in Kinshasa. Despite a series of text messages and phone messages sent by the victim on the evening of his disappearance, local police remain undecided as to the cause of the incident on 1 June. Police have gone on record stating that they are searching for the perpetrator of the crime. The prominent activist was previously arrested in March 2009 with two other individuals and held for a period without charge by police. Some local reports suggest that this was a direct result of his organisation’s high-profile media campaigns.

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