(JED/IFEX) – The following is a 7 June 2003 JED letter to General Dénis Kalume Numbi: Kinshasa, 7 June 2003 General Dénis Kalume Numbi Honourary Minister Kinshasa/Gombe Dear General, Concerning: the improper use of the military, abduction, illegal detention, assault and injuries to two journalists Journaliste en danger (JED), a non-governmental organisation dedicated to the […]
(JED/IFEX) – The following is a 7 June 2003 JED letter to General Dénis Kalume Numbi:
Kinshasa, 7 June 2003
General Dénis Kalume Numbi
Honourary Minister
Kinshasa/Gombe
Dear General,
Concerning: the improper use of the military, abduction, illegal detention, assault and injuries to two journalists
Journaliste en danger (JED), a non-governmental organisation dedicated to the defence and promotion of press freedom and the Alerts Network of the Central African Media Organisation (Organisation des médias d’Afrique centrale, OMAC), condemns the improper use of the Public Force by your son, Denis Kalume, alias Nice, and the abduction, illegal detention, assault and injuries to Michel Mukebayi Nkoso and Sage-Fidèle Gayala Ngangu, editor and editor-in-chief, respectively, of the Kinshasa-based newspaper “Congo News”.
According to testimonies collected by JED, on Thursday 5 June 2003, at 3:00 p.m., an altercation took place inside the “Congo News” newsroom, on the first floor of the Lunzadi building, near the Forescom traffic circle in Kinshasa/Gombe, involving your son, Denis Kalume, alias Nice, Mukebayi Nkoso and Gayala Ngangu. The two journalists were participating in a meeting on the balcony of the newsroom when Mr. Kalume suddenly burst in from an adjacent office. A heated exchange of words followed as the journalists felt the spontaneous arrival of an unknown individual disturbed the meeting that was in progress.
Angered by the two journalists’ reaction, your son went to get five Congolese Armed Forces (FAC) soldiers, four of whom were armed and in uniform. They detained the two journalists and forced them into the trunk of a Jeep. The journalists reported that they were subsequently stripped and beaten inside the Jeep for about 10 minutes, before being dropped off in front of the newspaper’s building. The soldiers accused them of having “shown a lack of respect for the son of a general.”
A few minutes later, as Gayala Ngangu was going home, the journalist was followed by the same vehicle up to the offices of the telecommunications company “Congo Chine Télécom”. The occupants of the vehicle then forced him inside. The journalist noticed that the group’s driver was an individual who was being referred to as “Major Kalume”, and that he was dressed in sports attire.
Gayala was reportedly taken to your Kinshasa/Gombe residence, located behind the Institut supérieur de commerce (ISC), close to Flamboyant 1 School. Once inside the residence, the journalist was taken to a room to the left of the entrance where he was reportedly beaten up by an otherwise unidentified person named “DEMUTO”. He was roughed up to such a degree that he reportedly suffered a bleeding nose and mouth.
Following the beating, the journalist’s press card was photocopied and he was warned that his personal information could be used against him if he disclosed information about the incident. He was then driven to the Congolese National Police station located behind the headquarters of the SONAS insurance company, where the soldiers who were on duty at your residence said the journalist had “shown a lack of respect toward the general’s son” and that “the blood on his face resulted from the fact he hurt himself at home.”
General,
From the events described above, JED notes that your son committed acts that are similar to those for which the Mobutu regime was held responsible in the past. Regardless of the errors committed by the two journalists, nobody has the right to take the law into their own hands, be it in the Democratic Republic of Congo or elsewhere. In this instance, your son used soldiers put at your disposition by the nation because of your senior rank, paid for by Congolese taxpayers, to seek revenge. He orchestrated the kidnapping of the two journalists, the illegal detention of one of the journalists in a private location – your residence – and encouraged the assault and injuries to both journalists.
Since your son is an adult, he will eventually have to face justice to answer for his actions. JED is writing to you because you are his father, the soldiers who committed the assault were under your command, and the incident took place at your personal residence.
Notwithstanding any legal action that Mr. Denis Kalume, alias Nice, may be facing, we ask that you dissociate yourself from your son’s actions, which are unworthy of your rank. JED also asks that you apologise to the two journalists.
Moreover, in order to ensure the credibility of our justice system, JED urges the state prosecutor to examine the case without delay and to punish those responsible, be they civilians or members of the military, in accordance with the country’s laws.
Sincerely,
Tshivis T. Tshivuadi
Secretary-General
D. M’Baya Tshimanga
President
