(JED/IFEX) – The following is a JED press release: Human rights minister accuses JED of supporting the opposition and rebellion Kinshasa, Friday 29 March 2002 In a 27 March 2002 letter, received by Journaliste en danger (JED) on 28 March 2002, Human Rights Minister Ntumba Luaba Lumu accused JED of working for the opposition and […]
(JED/IFEX) – The following is a JED press release:
Human rights minister accuses JED of supporting the opposition and rebellion
Kinshasa, Friday 29 March 2002
In a 27 March 2002 letter, received by Journaliste en danger (JED) on 28 March 2002, Human Rights Minister Ntumba Luaba Lumu accused JED of working for the opposition and armed rebel movements fighting against Kinshasa over the past four years. The minister stated that: “It is thus not surprising to observe in your letter an accusation similar to the views already heard and formulated in certain quarters against the Government of the Republic dealing with inciting to stoning and to burning alive all persons of Rwandan origin, this in reference to the spontaneous reaction of the people in a situation of legitimate self-defence against aggressors (editor’s note: read here Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi which support the rebellions in the Congo.) The minister adds: “… the gross and ill-considered reference to Rwanda by RadioTélévision Libre des Milles Collines (RTLM) could only spring from the same malevolent intention toward the Government arising from an understanding to share tasks with the aggressors of our country.” The minister concludes by saying: “I await from you the same effort concerning all of the public (sic) newspapers in our country and the statements of various political leaders.”
The human rights minister was responding to an 11 March 2002 JED protest letter to Atufuka Mbunze, president of the RTNC (Radiotélévision nationale congolaise) interim management committee. The protest letter condemned calls to hatred and violence launched, in late February, early March 2002 on the public station RTNC, by certain government officials and experts from the “government delegation” present at political negotiations in Sun City, South Africa.
JED recalls that in January 2001 the serious and unwarranted accusation of supporting the rebellion was brought against the organisation by former Information Minister Dominique Sakombi. At the time, JED activists were forced to flee the office and go into hiding for fifteen days. Moreover, some of the organisation’s records and equipment were maliciously destroyed.
JED notes that each time it contradicts the government’s position with regards to attacks against press freedom, the organisation is accused of working for the rebellion.
JED reaffirms its independence vis-à-vis all political currents in the DRC and maintains it will continue to work for the right to inform and be informed. Furthermore, the organisation will continue to condemn all attacks against press freedom, whoever the perpetrators may be.
