(CPJ/IFEX) – On 24 March 1999, Andre Ipakala and Modeste Mutinga, editors for the private daily newspapers “La Reference Plus” and “Le Potentiel,” respectively, were transferred from National Information Agency (ANR) headquarters, where they had been detained since 14 March, to the Court of Military Order (Cour d’Ordre Militaire) in Kinshasa, and placed under its […]
(CPJ/IFEX) – On 24 March 1999, Andre Ipakala and Modeste Mutinga,
editors
for the private daily newspapers “La Reference Plus” and “Le Potentiel,”
respectively, were transferred from National Information Agency (ANR)
headquarters, where they had been detained since 14 March, to the Court
of
Military Order (Cour d’Ordre Militaire) in Kinshasa, and placed under
its
custody.
**Updates IFEX alerts of 16 March and 15 March 1999**
The journalists have not been charged. Trials before this court cannot
be
appealed to a higher court. This development follows President Kabila’s
reported announcement at a 16 March press conference that Ipakala and
Mutinga were not under arrest.
Background Information
On 14 March, airport security agents arrested Ipakala and Mutinga at the
Ndjili Airport in Kinshasa upon their return from Pretoria, South
Africa,
where they had attended a peace conference on the conflict in the
Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC). The journalists were interrogated for four
hours at
the airport, and then turned over to National Information Agency (ANR)
security agents, who transported them to ANR headquarters. The
journalists
have been accused of meeting with rebels and ex-officials of the Mobutu
Sese
Seko regime.
Also arrested at the airport were Kabamba Mbwebwe, a representative of
the
Patriotic Front opposition party, and Lukiana Mufwankolo, leader of the
Union of Congolese Women. The Pretoria conference was organised by the
African Center for Constructive Reconstruction of Disputes, and included
representatives for seventeen Congolese civil and political groups, and
for
rebels in the DRC.
On 24 March, Mufwankolo was reportedly released.
On 18 April 1998, military security agents arrested Ipakala. The action
is
believed to be in connection to an article published in “La Reference
Plus”
on 15 April reporting that members of President Kabila’s entourage
maintained “private jails” in their residences. Ipakala was released on
20
April after being extensively interrogated about his sources for the
article
(see IFEX alert of 7 May 1998).
On 25 February 1998, Mutinga was arrested and detained at the
headquarters
of the National Security Council (CNS) in connection with an article
published in the February 19 edition of “Le Potentiel” titled “Kabila’s
Kassai Sulk.” The article reported on the forcible return of opposition
leader and former Prime Minister Etienne Tshisekedi to his home town in
the
Kassai Province (see IFEX alert of 27 February 1998).
On 11 July 1998, security service agents prevented Mutinga from boarding
a
plane for New York at the Kinshasa airport. Mutinga was detained for
four
and a half hours, and security service agents conducted a thorough
search of
his luggage before seizing his passport, airline tickets, and copies of
that
day’s issue of “Le Potentiel” (see IFEX alert of 14 July 1998).
Mutinga’s
passport was returned later that week, and he was allowed to leave the
country.
On 1 September 1998, twenty members of the police special services
arrested
Mutinga, detained him for six hours, and then released him. Mutinga was
questioned about an article published in the 17 August edition of “Le
Potentiel”, reporting that US$1,000,000, which President Laurent Kabila
had
given to the Congolese press, was being distributed only to
pro-government
newspapers.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to the President:
international law, are respected
are
immediately released
Appeals To
:
Laurent-Désiré Kabila
President of the Democratic Republic of Congo
Ngaliema, Kinshasa
Democratic Republic of Congo
Fax: + 243 88 02120and/or c/o the diplomatic representative of your country:
(in the United States)
Embassy of the Democratic Republic of Congo
Fax: +1 202 345 2609Mission of the Democratic Republic of Congo to the United Nations
Fax: +1 212 319 8232(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
Fax: +1 613 747 9152
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
