(JED/IFEX) – The Kinshasa-based Radio Television Message of Life (RTMV), property of the Church of the Victory Army and owned by televangelist Fernando Kuthino, has ceased broadcasting since 6:00 p.m. (local time) on 14 May 2006, after armed Congolese special services police cut its signal via the Binza Broadcast Centre. On the afternoon of 15 […]
(JED/IFEX) – The Kinshasa-based Radio Television Message of Life (RTMV), property of the Church of the Victory Army and owned by televangelist Fernando Kuthino, has ceased broadcasting since 6:00 p.m. (local time) on 14 May 2006, after armed Congolese special services police cut its signal via the Binza Broadcast Centre.
On the afternoon of 15 May, JED spoke with channel supervisor Thom’s Mwanza, who confirmed that the Congolese police attacked the church headquarters and ordered the electricity to be cut in the district where the radio offices are located, to stop RTMV from live broadcasting the arrest of the head of the church, Fernando Kuthino. This arrest was to take place following the end of a religious service organised in his honour on the same day at Tata Raphaël stadium, after he returned from three years in exile.
Interviewed on the evening of 15 May, on the public radio channel (RTNC), Kinshasa governor Kimbembe Mazunga accused Fernando Kuthino of inciting hatred and division during his preaching. He also claimed to have discovered arms in the pastor’s residence.
JED is concerned by this repressive trend of attacks on private media in DRC that is depriving thousands of people from information that they need, and is asking the Congolese authorities to again pledge their willingness to allow the media to conduct their work freely and independently during this election period.
BACKGROUND:
On 22 April, the radio show “Mwana Congo” was suspended by the Haute Autorité des Médias (HAM, media regulatory body), after Thom’s Mwanza received Democratic Movement of Congo (MDCO) political party president Gabriel Mokia on the show, which had been prohibited from airing for a month.
The RTMV had been reduced to silence on 10 June 2003 by plain-clothed Congolese police officers, following a general assembly by a political-religious movement that was created one month earlier, called “Save the Congo”. The channel started broadcasting again six months after this incident, for which no explanation was given.
