(JED/IFEX) – The 7 August 2002 edition of Congolese daily “Le Potentiel” reported the threats uttered by Joseph Olenghankoy, president of the Forces Novatrices pour l’Union et la Solidarité (FONUS, a political party that claims to be an opposition party), against JED. The article in question states: “on Monday, Olenghankoy sharply attacked Arnaud Zajtman [BBC’s […]
(JED/IFEX) – The 7 August 2002 edition of Congolese daily “Le Potentiel” reported the threats uttered by Joseph Olenghankoy, president of the Forces Novatrices pour l’Union et la Solidarité (FONUS, a political party that claims to be an opposition party), against JED. The article in question states: “on Monday, Olenghankoy sharply attacked Arnaud Zajtman [BBC’s Kinshasa correspondent], whom he accused of relaying on BBC airwaves the solidarity appeal for Ekele launched by the non governmental organisation Journaliste en danger (JED), which he reportedly characterised as a tribal grouping that he was going to ‘break’.”
In a 7 August letter to Olenghankoy, and copies to all political and judicial authorities, JED stated that these threats join many other statements that Olenghankoy has made during various telephone conversations he has had with JED since the 31 July arrest of Achille Ekele N’Golyma, publication director of the satirical newspaper “Pot-Pourri.” During these conversations, Olenghankoy boasted of his ability to divide and destabilise JED.
JED added that it refuses to let itself be dragged into the terrain of petty personal attacks, which are a reminder of the evils that have eaten away at the Congolese political class since the country’s independence. Notable among these evils is the practice, which is typical for politicians, of seeing everything through the prism of people’s ethnic origins as soon as one is contradicted. JED stated that “on the other hand, knowing [Olenghankoy’s] methods and his ability to cause harm, the organisation takes the threats very seriously because it believes the term ‘break’ has several connotations, including malicious destruction and physical elimination.”
JED concluded its letter by saying that it would hold Olenghankoy “responsible for any unfortunate events that happen to its property as well as its members – and their families – who are only doing their job, that of defending the freedom to inform and be informed in the Democratic Republic of Congo.”
