(RSF/IFEX) – Colonel Jean François Denguet, Police Services director-general, recently threatened to kill Radio France Internationale (RFI) and RSF correspondent Alain Shungu. The incident took place in Brazzaville. The death threat followed the publication of an article in which it was reported that the colonel banned a meeting that had been organised by opposition leader […]
(RSF/IFEX) – Colonel Jean François Denguet, Police Services director-general, recently threatened to kill Radio France Internationale (RFI) and RSF correspondent Alain Shungu. The incident took place in Brazzaville. The death threat followed the publication of an article in which it was reported that the colonel banned a meeting that had been organised by opposition leader André Milongo in Makélélé. In addition, the colonel also threatened to personally contact the Communications Ministry and see to it that the journalist’s accreditation was revoked.
RSF asked General Pierre Oba, the congolese interior minister, to censure Colonel Denguet. “We will hold you responsible if anything should happen to Alain Shungu,” stated Robert Ménard, the organisation’s secretary-general. Moreover, RSF urged Communications Minister François Ibovi to reject Colonel Denguet’s request should he seek to revoke Shungu’s accreditation. “Revoking the accreditation of a journalist who did nothing more than exercise his professional duties would constitute an attack on press freedom,” remarked Ménard.
According to information collected by RSF, on 27 June 2002, Shungu was summoned to Colonel Denguet’s office. During the interrogation, Denguet threatened to kill Shungu. According to the journalist, the colonel stated, “This is the last time that I will summon you to my office. Next time I will have you shot or, at minimum, ensure that your accreditation is revoked.”
RSF also recalled that Bruno Mienahata and Malonga Bouka, publication director and editor-in-chief of the weekly “Le Coq”, respectively, were summoned by the Brazzaville police in November 2001. They were accused of publishing an article entitled, “The Senior Command is Decaying Because of Corruption”. “Le Coq” reported that the Chadian community in the Republic of Congo allegedly gave a bribe to the interim commander of the national police in order to assure the release of five Chadian citizens who had entered the country illegally.
