Mag Mikombe, a contributor to Echo du Sud newspaper, was arrested following the publication of an article that criticised the president of the Provincial Assembly of Kinshasa.
Journalist in Danger (JED) vigorously condemns the entirely illegal abduction and 48-hour detention of Mag Mikombe, a reporter for Le Palmarès daily and contributor to Echo du Sud newspaper in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
According to information received by JED, Mag Mikombe was arrested on 14 October 2013 at around 11am, in front of the Hôtel Invest de Presse, by a group of eight people who could not be identified. Mag Mikombe was forced into a vehicle and taken to an army jail cell belonging to the Congolese National Police, located on Colonel Ebeya Avenue – where he continues to be detained. Mikombe had gone to the hotel in response to a meeting request by Mr. Modeste Kisema, a close colleague of the president of the Provincial Assembly of Kinshasa.
Mag Mikombe’s arrest followed Echo du Sud‘s publication of an article entitled “Roger Nsingi manages the Kinshasa Provincial Assembly like his store” on 7 October 2013. One day after the article was published, Mr. Modeste Kisema went to Echo du Sud‘s office, in search of the journalist who wrote the aforementioned article.
When contacted by JED, Guy Kasango, managing editor of Echo du Sud, confirmed that he had delegated Mag Mikombe to interview Mr. Modeste Kisema about the article, which had in fact been credited to another journalist.
JED believes that the arrest and abduction of Mag Mikombe was carried out by a commando, for the benefit of the president of the Provincial Assembly of Kinshasa, Mr. Roger Nsingi.
JED calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Mag Mikombe, and condemns the manipulation of state services by an individual who abuses of his power with impunity.
Please note this is an abridged translation.
