Two editors, returning from Peace conference, arrested at airport

(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 […]

(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
of
Congo (DRC). The journalists were interrogated for four hours at the
airport, and then turned over to National Information Agency (ANR)
security
agents, who transported them to ANR headquarters. The journalists are
currently being held there without charge, accused of meeting with
rebels
and ex-officials of the Mobutu Sese Seko regime.

**Updates IFEX alert of 15 March 1999**

Also arrested at the airport were Kabamba Mbwebwe, a representative of
the
Patriotic Front opposition party, and Lukiana Mufwankolo, leader of the
Union of Congolese Women. The Pretoria conference was organized by the
African Center for Constructive Reconstruction of Disputes, and included
representatives for seventeen Congolese civil and poltical groups, and
for
rebels in the DRC. Representatives of the government of Laurent-Désiré
Kabila were invited, but did not attend.

Background Information

On 25 February 1998, Mutinga was arrested and detained at the
headquaters of
the National Security Council (CNS) in connection with an article
published
in the February 19 edition of “Le Potentiel” titled “Kabila’s Kassai
Sulk.”
The article reported on the forcible return of opposition leader and
former
prime minister Etienne Tshisekedi to his home town in the Kassai
province
(see IFEX alert of 27 February 1998).

On 11 July 1998, security service agents prevented Mutinga from boarding
a
plane for New York at the Kinshasa airport. Mutinga was detained for
four
and a half hours, and security service agents conducted a thorough
search of
his luggage before seizing his passport, airline tickets, and copies of
that
day’s issue of “Le Potentiel.” Mutinga’s passport was returned later
that
week and he was allowed to leave the country.

On 1 September 1998, twenty members of the police special services
arrested
Mutinga, detained him for six hours, and then released him. Mutinga was
questioned about an article published in the 17 August edition of “Le
Potentiel,” reporting that US$1,000,000, which President Laurent Kabila
had
given to the Congolese press, was being distributed only to
pro-government
newspapers.

Recommended Action

Laurent-Désiré Kabila

President of the Republic

Ngaliema, Kinshasa

Democratic Republic of Congo

Fax: + 243 88 02120

and/or c/o the diplomatic representative of your country:
(in the United States)

Embassy of the Democratic Republic of Congo

Fax: +1-202-345-2609

Mission of the Democratic Republic of Congo to the United Nations

Fax: +1-212-319-8232
(in France)

Embassy of the Democratic Republic of Congo

Fax: +33 1 42 89 80 09
(in Canada)

Embassy of the Democratic Republic of Congo

Fax: +1 613 747 9152