(JED/IFEX) – On Monday 16 October 2000, Modeste Mutinga Mutuishayi, Polydor Muboyayi Mubanga, Alexis Mutanda and Zacharie Nyemabo Kalenga, publishers of the dailies “Le Potentiel”, “Le Phare” and “La Tempête des Tropiques”, and the weekly “La Tribune”, respectively, were summoned to the offices of the Congolese National Police’s special services (SSP) in Kinshasa/Gombe. Because the […]
(JED/IFEX) – On Monday 16 October 2000, Modeste Mutinga Mutuishayi, Polydor Muboyayi Mubanga, Alexis Mutanda and Zacharie Nyemabo Kalenga, publishers of the dailies “Le Potentiel”, “Le Phare” and “La Tempête des Tropiques”, and the weekly “La Tribune”, respectively, were summoned to the offices of the Congolese National Police’s special services (SSP) in Kinshasa/Gombe.
Because the SSP’s national director, Raüs Chalwe Ngwashi, was absent, the four editors were received by Commander Idiba, one of his colleagues. Idiba accused the newspapers of publishing information likely to demoralise the army and civilian population. He threatened to deal ruthlessly with them should their papers publish such information in the future, in accordance with Article 78 of Press Law no. 96-002 of 22 June 1996. The article specifies that: “Will be punished for treason all those who, in periods of war, will have, through the means cited in Article 76: – incited combat forces to turn over to a foreign power; – knowingly participated in an effort to demoralise the army or civilian population, aimed at harming national defence; – handed over to a foreign power information (directly or indirectly), a document or process which must be kept secret in the interest of national defence”.
Article 76 refers those accused of demoralising the army or the people during a time of war to the penal code. As such, it makes provision for severe penalties, including the death penalty.
In last week’s editions, “Le Potentiel”, “Le Phare”, “La Tempête des Tropiques” and “La Tribune” had reported on rebel troup advances towards the city of Mbandaka (equatorial province in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s north-west), which is currently under the control of government troops.
