(CJFE/IFEX) – According to the Congolese non-governmental organisation Médias Libres, Médias pour Tous, Editor Ngoy Kikungula and Publications Director Bella Mako of the Lubumbashi-based (Katanga Province) “Le Lushois” newspaper, were released on Saturday 25 September 1999 on the order of President Kabila. The president’s decision followed a demand for the journalists’ release made by Lubumbashi-based […]
(CJFE/IFEX) – According to the Congolese non-governmental organisation
Médias Libres, Médias pour Tous, Editor Ngoy Kikungula and Publications
Director Bella Mako of the Lubumbashi-based (Katanga Province) “Le Lushois”
newspaper, were released on Saturday 25 September 1999 on the order of
President Kabila. The president’s decision followed a demand for the
journalists’ release made by Lubumbashi-based journalists at a Journaliste en Danger (Journalist in Danger, JED) information seminar.
The military court had earlier sentenced the two journalists to eight-month
prison terms for defamation and spreading false rumors, slander, and lies.
They served three months of their sentence prior to their release. According
to the International League for Human Rights, the journalists had reportedly
slandered the governor of Katanga province, Augustin Katumba Mwamke, in
alleging that he was linked to rebel forces. They were released after Mwamke
intervened on their behalf.
From 24 to 25
September 1999, at the Park Hotel in Lubumbashi, JED organised a series of
workshops on press laws for local journalists, around the theme: “Press law
violations and procedures before the courts and tribunals in Congolese
legislation”. These meetings were organised with the financial assistance of
the USA Embassy in Kinshasa, through the American Cultural Centre in
Kinshasa. They were sponsored by Mwanke.
In his opening speech, JED’s president urged Mwanke, who was present in the room, to release the two journalists, while
also criticising the press’ behaviour. It was this intervention by JED which
secured the journalists’ release.
