Democratic Republic of Congo

(RSF/IFEX) – RSF is protesting the decision to defer two journalists to the Court of Military Order. According to RSF’s information, André Ipakala and Modeste Mutinga, editors-in-chief of the dailies “La Référence Plus” and “Le Potentiel”, respectively, were deferred, on 24 March 1999, to the Kinshasa Court of Military Order. They are currently held at […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – On 24 March 1999, Andre Ipakala and Modeste Mutinga, editors for the private daily newspapers “La Reference Plus” and “Le Potentiel,” respectively, were transferred from National Information Agency (ANR) headquarters, where they had been detained since 14 March, to the Court of Military Order (Cour d’Ordre Militaire) in Kinshasa, and placed under its […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – On 14 March 1999, airport security agents arrested Andre Ipakala and Modeste Mutinga, editors for the private daily newspapers “La Reference Plus” and “Le Potentiel,” respectively, at the Ndjili airport in Kinshasa upon their return from Pretoria, South Africa, where they had attended a peace conference on the conflict in the Democratic Republic […]

(RSF/IFEX) – RSF is protesting the detention of two newspaper editors in Kinshasa. According to RSF’s information, André Ipakala and Modeste Mutinga, editors, respectively, of the dailies “La Référence Plus” and “Le Potentiel”, were arrested on 14 March 1999 upon their return from Durban (South Africa). Detained for questioning at the Kinshasa airport by the […]

(RSF/IFEX) – On 12 February 1999, three journalists with dual Gabonese and Congolese nationality were wrongfully dismissed from the Africa No. 1 panafrican radio station. Placide Ibouanga Ndinga, Gervais Rouanga Ngoma and J. Mathurin Yembangoye, Africa No. 1 journalists in Libreville (Gabon), were dismissed after the Congolese government of Denis Sassou Ngesso exerted pressure on […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – On 3 March 1999, National Information Agency (ANR) agents interrogated Pomydor Muboyayi Mubanga, editor of the Kinshasa daily newspaper “Le Phare,” for four hours before releasing him. The agents questioned Muboyayi about why the newspaper had recently published articles reporting on actions of the special service of the chief of state. **Updates IFEX […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – Pomydor Muboyayi Mubanga, editor of the Kinshasa daily newspaper “Le Phare,” has been “invited” to National Information Agency (ANR) headquarters for a meeting on Wednesday, 3 March 1999. CPJ sources report that Muboyayi may face arrest for a series of articles that have recently appeared in “Le Phare” reporting that decisions on currency […]

(RSF/IFEX) – RSF is protesting the detention of a journalist since July 1998. According to RSF’s information, Oscar Kangoa, a journalist with the weekly “Umoja”, was jailed on 2 July after being sentenced on 31 May to a twelve-month prison sentence for “slander against authorities.” The journalist had written an article, published some weeks earlier, […]

(RSF/IFEX) – RSF is protesting the arbitrary arrest of five journalists in Kinshasa. According to RSF’s information, on Wednesday, 3 February 1999, plainclothes members of the information service detained Moïse Musangana, Véron-Clément Kongo, Godefroid Ngamisata, Théodore Ngangu and Emmanuel Katshunga, respectively director, assistant editor-in-chief and reporters, at the offices of the newspaper “Potentiel”. The five […]

(RSF/IFEX) – RSF is expressing concern further to the harassment of Michel Museme Diawe, editor-in-chief of Congolese National Radio-Television (Radio Télévision Nationale Congolaise, RTNC). According to RSF’s information, on 26 January 1999, the journalist was forced out of his residence. The soldiers explained to him that his apartment had been allocated to the office of […]

(RSF/IFEX) – RSF is protesting the detention of a journalist at a Kinshasa military camp. According to RSF’s information, on Tuesday, 12 January 1999, Thierry Kyalumba, editor-in-chief of the twice weekly newspaper “Vision”, was arrested in Kinshasa. On 15 January, he was referred to the military court, accused of “disclosing military secrets in wartime.” Under […]

(RSF/IFEX) – RSF is expressing concern further to the destruction of a private television station’s studios in Kinshasa. According to RSF’s information, at 1:00 a.m. (local time) on Wednesday, 13 January 1999, a fire destroyed the studios of Radio Télévision Message de vie (RTMV), located in Kinshasa – Kasa Vubu. The studios, owned by Kutino […]

(RSF/IFEX) – RSF is greatly protesting the poor treatment of a journalist in Kinshasa. According to RSF’s information, on 26 December 1998, Freddy Loseke Lisumbu, editor-in-chief of the three times weekly “La Libre Afrique”, received one hundred and fifty lashes by agents of the Special Group of the President’s Security Service (Groupement spécial de sécurité […]

(RSF/IFEX) – RSF is protesting the arrest of a journalist. According to RSF’s information, Kabeya Pindi Pasi, chief editor of the weekly “Numerica”, was arrested on the afternoon of 23 December 1998. The journalist was taken to the public prosecutor’s office and placed in the “criminal record” cells in Kinshasa. This arrest follows a slander […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – On 22 December 1998, CPJ issued the following release: **Updates IFEX alert of 23 and 21 December 1998** During the evening of 22 December 1998, Yvette Idi Lupantsha and Risasi Risonga, journalist and television editor with Radio Television Nationale Congolese (RTNC), respectively, were released from detention on the orders of President Laurent Kabila.

(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a 22 December 1998 CPJ letter to Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Kabila further to the recent arrest of two journalists and the ongoing stream of attacks against journalists and independent media in DRC: **Updates IFEX alert of 21 December 1998** December 22, 1998 Laurent-Désiré Kabila President of the […]