Expression
Several journalists detained
Police officers arrested community radio journalist Olivier Makambu on 16th November 2022 in Kenge, Kwango province, following a defamation complaint by member of parliament Tharcisse Matadi Wamba Kamba Mutu. The complaint relates to a broadcast on community radio station Radio communitaire pour le Renouveau du Kwango (RCRK) on 19th August 2022, during which Makambu alleged that the deputy interfered in a dispute about the succession of a local customary chief.
On 13th July 2022, officers of the National Intelligence Agency (ANR) arrested journalist Joseph Kazadi and his US colleague, journalist Nicholas Niarchos in Lubumbashi, province of Haut-Katanga. According to the latter, the two were arrested while setting up an interview in the context of their reporting on the link between mining in Katanga and those who profit from that mining, such as separatists. The following day, both journalists were transferred to ANR’s headquarters in Kinsasha, where they remained in detention, without charges. While Niarchos was released after five days, Kazadi, who runs the newspaper Leader and reports for Mining News, remained detained until 3rd August 2022. During that time, Kazadi was reportedly denied access to his lawyer.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Radio Maendeleo manager and journalist Baby Ndombe Mwilungu was arrested by military officers on 21st June 2022 in Kasongo, Maniema province, and taken to the military prosecutor’s office. The arrest followed a complaint for insult, insulting provincial authority and tending to create a rebellion, filed by Maniema governor Afani Idrissa Mangala’s nephew, Richard Aruna. The latter claimed that Ndombe had called his listeners to demonstrate against a recent decision by authorities to invalidate a recent gubernatiorial election in Maniema, allegations that the journalist denied. Ndombe was released after three hours after his lawyer requested the proof that Aruna had his uncle’s permission to bring a legal case against a journalist in his name.
Prosecution of journalists: one journalist acquitted, one sentenced to one year in prison, two others unable to meet bail conditions
On 5th July 2022, a court in Mbandaka, Equateur province, acquitted journalist Chilassy Bofumbo, journalist for Radio Télévision Sarah and media outlet Flash Info Plus. He had been in detention since his arrest on 18th November 2021, reportedly on the order of Equateur’s governor, after he finished covering a peaceful civil society protest denouncing bad governance in the province. Previously, the prosecutor had requested a prison sentence of three years for a combination of charges, without any substantiating evidence, such as ‘contempt of authority’, ‘public insult’ and ‘inciting hatred and rebellion’.
Meanwhile, on 19th September 2022, the Kinshasa Gombe Peace Court sentenced journalist and director of online outlet Netic News Gauthier Sey Tshiang to a prison sentence of one year, a fine and damages for ‘damaging imputations’, ‘making statements to harm an individual’s reputation’, ‘spreading false rumours’ and ‘fraud’ in his reporting on the acting director of the National Social Security Fund (CNSS), Jean Simon Mfuti Kiaku, after the latter filed a complaint. Sey was sentenced in absentia, as he could not attend the court hearing due to medical reasons, and appealed the conviction.
Two other journalists, freelance journalist Patrick Lola and E-Radio reporter Christian Bofaya, both arrested while covering a protest in Mbandaka on 10th January 2022, spent eight months in arbitrary detention before the Court of Cassation in Kinshasa, on 19th August 2022, set an exuberant bail of 2 million Congolese francs (approximately 1,000 USD) for Lola, Bofaya and three protest organisers. While the protest organisers were able to pay the bail, both journalists were not, and therefore remained incarcerated, according to CPJ.
Reuters correspondent expelled from DRC
Reuters correspondent Sonia Rolley was summoned by the General Direction of Migrations (DGM) on 8th November 2022. On arrival, officers confiscated her passport and subsequently deported her from the country by taking her to the airport and putting her on a plane to Paris. Rolley, who used to cover DRC for Radio France Internationale (RFI), had DGM permission to cover a climate conference in Kinshasa in October 2022, and she was awaiting her accreditation as a journalist for Reuters, for which she applied in September 2022, when she was summoned. Authorities in DRC claim the decision was an administrative one, and not a restriction to press freedom in DRC. According to sources of RFI, officers who interrogated Rolley at the DGM office in Kinshasa said that the deportation is not due to her work for Reuters but her “past activities”.
While covering DRC for RFI, Rolley exposed, among others, widespread corruption in Congo Hold-Up investigation.
Community radio worker killed in North Kivu
On 17th July 2022, unidentified individuals shot and killed Michel Hangi, a technician for community radio station Le Soleil Levant, when he was returning home after finishing an interactive radio programme. The motives of Hangi’s killing remain unclear.
Report paints a grim picture of press freedom in DRC
In its annual report, published on 2nd November 2022, Congolese CSO Journalistes en Danger (JED), said they have documented at least 124 press freedom violations since the start of January 2022. This includes 49 cases of threats against journalists; the arrest of 37 journalists; physical assault of 18 journalists; the ban on 17 radio stations or radio programmes; the abduction of two journalists and the killing of 1 journalist. In 2021, the CSO documented 110 violations. The report further states regarding the state of press freedom:
Four years after the start of the new administration of Félix Tshisekedi, and one year before new elections, which marks the end of his first term, the current situation of the press in Congo is neither better nor worse than what it has always been, ie a fragile freedom of the press….. Under Joseph Kabila, journalists were killed; media were shut down; internet was cut ….. Under Félix Tshisekedi, journalism is dying….
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Censorship: radio stations suspended
On 25th October 2022, administrator of Lodja territory, in the province of Sankuru, suspended radio stations Radio Télévision Losanganya and Radio Télé Grand Tam-tam Sankuru (RTGTS). According to CSO Observatoire de la Liberté de la Presse en Afrique (OLPA; Observatory of Freedom of Press in Africa), the Lodja administrator accused the media outlets of a lack of respect for ethics and incitement of hatred. Additionally, the police reportedly besieged the offices of the two outlets on 26th October 2022 to ensure compliance with the suspension order.
Peaceful Assembly
Protest against the violence in Eastern DRC, alleged role of Rwanda
On 4th December 2022, several protests against the violence in Eastern DRC, organised by the Catholic Church, took place in Kinshasa and other localities, such as Lubumbashi, Kisangani and Beni. In Kinshasa, where the protest occurred without incidents, authorities banned protests in the Gombe district, the embassy district and administrative centre, while police was deployed in the avenues leading to the parishes. In Goma, the protest organisers cancelled the march “to avoid potential infiltrations”.
The Catholic Church demands from the government to suspend DRC’s participation in the International Organisation of the Francophonie (OIF) and the East Africa Community (EAC) and lamented the ‘hypocrisy’ of the international community over Rwanda’s alleged role in the violence in Eastern DRC. It is believed in DRC that Rwanda supports the armed group M23. Although Rwanda continues to deny these allegations, a UN group of experts said in August 2022 that they found ‘solid evidence’ that Rwandan troops attacked military officers in DRC and aided the M23 armed group with weapons and support.
The protesters likewise want to see the UN peacekeeping force, MONUSCO, leave DRC.
Several other protests, to denounce Rwanda’s alleged role and against the increasing violence and insecurity in eastern DRC, have taken place. For example, on 31st October 2022, thousands joined an anti-Rwanda protest in Goma, North Kivu province, as authorities expelled the ambassador for Rwanda and recalled its interim charges d’affaires from Kigali over escalating violence by M23, who seized the towns of Kiwanja and Rutshuru, situated on a strategic highway leading to Goma. On 5th November 2022,
At least 36 people killed in violent anti-UN protests
At least 36 people, including four UN peacekeepers, have been killed and 170 people injured in violent anti-UN protests in eastern DRC, which started on 25th July 2022. Protesters demand the withdrawal of the peacekeeping force, MONUSCO, due to their inability to protect civilians against the violence from armed groups.