(JED/IFEX) – Two journalists from the Kinshasa-based daily “L’Avenir” were assaulted on Monday 23 April 2001 in the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). According to information obtained by JED, reporter Kasongo Mukishi was assaulted by Dido Kitungwa, the director of Kinshasa’s Penitentiary and Re-education Centre (Centre pénitentiaire et de rééducation de Kinshasa, […]
(JED/IFEX) – Two journalists from the Kinshasa-based daily “L’Avenir” were assaulted on Monday 23 April 2001 in the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
According to information obtained by JED, reporter Kasongo Mukishi was assaulted by Dido Kitungwa, the director of Kinshasa’s Penitentiary and Re-education Centre (Centre pénitentiaire et de rééducation de Kinshasa, CPRK, in Kinshasa/Selembao). The incident took place at the conclusion of the day of consultation and free assistance organised by the Human Rights Institute of the DRC Bar (Institut des droits de l’homme des barreaux de la RDC). Kitungwa, who wanted to take away the journalist’s reporting notes, ordered prison guards to confine the journalist until the prison director could read the contents of his notebook. Mukishi was released thanks to the intervention of a lawyer present at the scene.
Kitungwa is known for his contempt for press freedom. In May 2000, he tried in vain to prevent Robert Ménard, secretary-general of the organisation Reporters sans frontières (RSF), from speaking privately with Freddy Loseke, publisher of the newspaper “La Libre Afrique”, who was detained at the time at the CPRK.
On the evening of 23 April, the editor-in-chief of “L’Avenir”, Kipela Mondo Pellet, was detained by six soldiers – four of whom were armed, in uniform, and wearing green berets – while he was near his home in the vicinity of the Cité de l’OUA (the office of the president of the republic) in Kinshasa/Ngaliema. Though he presented his press card, the six soldiers took Mondo Pellet toward the Congo River. On the way, the soldiers discussed the fate that was in store for him. They then took away the money that was in his bag as well as his mobile phone, before letting him go.
