(JED/IFEX) – The following is an abridged version of a 9 December 2005 JED press release: In a report published on 9 December 2005 in Kinshasa to commemorate the 57th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, press freedom in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was shown to be in a “catastrophic” state. […]
(JED/IFEX) – The following is an abridged version of a 9 December 2005 JED press release:
In a report published on 9 December 2005 in Kinshasa to commemorate the 57th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, press freedom in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was shown to be in a “catastrophic” state. The report was authored by JED, which has been urgently calling on the Congolese authorities to end impunity for those jeopardizing media freedoms and to ensure the safety and security of journalists in the run-up to elections.
According to the report, the DRC registered the highest level of attacks against journalists and media outlets in Central Africa in 2005. This translated into 108 cases, including one assassination and 58 cases of imprisonment for extensive periods. The report finds that compared to last year, 2005 indicates a worrying regression for press freedom. Indeed, in the year 2004 there were 66 known cases of attacks against journalists and media outlets, including 23 cases of imprisonment for significant periods. Therefore, press freedom in the DRC could be said to have declined by 63 per cent in the last year. The riskiest provinces for journalists in the DRC were found to be Kinshasa, Kasaï Occidental and Katanga.
The assassination of Franck Ngyke Kangundu of “La Référence Plus” and his wife on the night of 2-3 November 2005 constitutes the top story of 2005. JED asserts that this crime points to the work of professional criminals. As such, the organization reminds Azarias Ruberwa, Vice President in charge of politics and security, of the promise he made on 7 November 2005, to professionals of Congolese media, to his commitment for the establishment of an independent inquiry to investigate and expose the truth behind the murder of this journalist and his wife.
The report, entitled, “The State of Press Freedom in Central Africa,” documented all cases of violations of freedom of the press that occurred in the nine countries in Central Africa that are members of OMAC, including: Congo/Brazzaville, Cameroon; Gabon; Central African Republic; Rwanda; Burundi; Equatorial Guinea; Chad and the DRC.
The full press release and report are available in French at: http://www.jed-congo.org/list_rapport.php
