Attacks against foreign journalists

(RSF/IFEX) – According to information made available by RSF on 27 August 1998, on 20 August, Hugh Nevill, special correspondent for Agence France Presse (AFP), and Lara Santoro, an Italian journalist with the international magazine “Newsweek,” were questioned at the Kasumbalesa border station (on the Zambian border) as they were speaking by satellite telephone with […]

(RSF/IFEX) – According to information made available by RSF on 27 August
1998, on 20 August, Hugh Nevill, special correspondent for Agence France
Presse (AFP), and Lara Santoro, an Italian journalist with the international
magazine “Newsweek,” were questioned at the Kasumbalesa border station (on
the Zambian border) as they were speaking by satellite telephone with the
secretary of the province of Katanga (southeastern Democratic Republic of
Congo). The two journalists, suspected of espionage, were detained at the
headquarters of the secret police in Lubumbashi (province of Katanga). On 22
August, Nevill and Santoro were returned to the border and expelled from the
country.

**This alert contains new cases as well as information covered in IFEX
alerts of 26 and 25 August 1998**
On 23 August, three members of the private international World Television
News (WTN), Australian reporter Mike Huggins, German cameraman Michael Pohl
and Congolese director Jonathan Kolionio, were stopped for questioning while
filming in the streets of Kinshasa (the capital city). Detained by security
forces, the three journalists were released on 25 August (see IFEX alerts of
26 and 25 August 1998).

On 24 August, Roger Koy and Sipo Maseko, cameramen with Reuters Television,
were detained for several hours at the premises of the Ministry of
Information. They had also been stopped for questioning while filming in the
streets of Kinshasa.

Recommended Action

Mr. Laurent-Desiré Kabila

President of the Democratic Republic of Congo

fax care of the DRC diplomatic representative to your country
(in France)

Embassy of the Democratic Republic of Congo

Fax: +33 1 42 89 80 09
(in Canada)

Embassy of the Democratic Republic of Congo

18 Range Road

Ottawa, Ontario

K1N 8J3 Canada

Fax: +1 613 747 9152