(JED/IFEX) – Jean-Marie Basa Ndjankolo, a journalist with “L’Alarme”, a Kinshasa weekly, was arrested on Tuesday 17 October 2000, close to the University of Kinshasa, by a group of ten Congolese Armed Forces (FAC) soldiers. He was taken to a military base in “Joli-Site” district, eighty kilometres from Kinshasa, on the road to Matadi (Lower-Congo […]
(JED/IFEX) – Jean-Marie Basa Ndjankolo, a journalist with “L’Alarme”, a Kinshasa weekly, was arrested on Tuesday 17 October 2000, close to the University of Kinshasa, by a group of ten Congolese Armed Forces (FAC) soldiers. He was taken to a military base in “Joli-Site” district, eighty kilometres from Kinshasa, on the road to Matadi (Lower-Congo province). On Wednesday 18 October, he was hidden in the trunk of a car and taken to the Kokolo Military Base, in Kinshasa/Bandalungwa. Basa was finally released on Tuesday 24 October.
The journalist was questioned on three separate occasions. He was accused of “exposing military secrets”. The newspaper “L’Alarme” had earlier published an article by Basa titled: “Commander John Lunkundu ends the insecurity in Mbanza Lemba, Livulu and Righini neighbourhood”. In the article, which was apparently positive in tone, the journalist touched on the techniques used to fight crime in this sector of Kinshasa. He claims to have been beaten daily during his detention.
