(JED/IFEX) – Joseph Nkinzo, director of the community radio station Sauti ya Rehema, which airs in Bukavu, was arrested by Intelligence Agency officers on 28 May 2003. Bukavu is the main town in South Kivu province, located in the eastern half of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The area is controlled by the Congolese […]
(JED/IFEX) – Joseph Nkinzo, director of the community radio station Sauti ya Rehema, which airs in Bukavu, was arrested by Intelligence Agency officers on 28 May 2003. Bukavu is the main town in South Kivu province, located in the eastern half of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The area is controlled by the Congolese Rally for Democracy (Rassemblement congolais pour la démocratie, RCD/Goma) rebel group.
According to JED’s information, the RCD/Goma authorities blame the station for airing unflattering remarks about the suspension of the rebel group’s participation in discussions of the inter-Congolese dialogue follow-up committee, which were taking place in Kinshasa.
For over one month, the radio station Sahuti ya Rehema has been subjected to consistent harassment from RCD/Goma officials because of the independent tone in its news reporting.
RCD/Goma officials previously banned Radio Maendeleo, another Bukavu-based community radio station, on 9 December 2002 (see IFEX alerts of 13 and 9 December 2002). The station remains closed despite the signing of a new constitution by all warring parties in the DRC that includes press freedom guarantees.
