DRC: JED accused of tarnishing country's image

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> IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
> _________________________________________________________________
>
> ALERT AND UPDATE - DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
>
> 21 June 2002
>
> Minister accuses JED of seeking to tarnish the country's image
>
> SOURCE: Journaliste en danger (JED), Kinshasa
>
> **New cases and update to IFEX alert of 14 June 2002**
>
> (JED/IFEX) - Minister of Communications and Press Kikaya Bin Karubi has
> responded to JED's recent protest letter denouncing the threats and
> harassment aimed at the private broadcaster RAGA and journalist Jean-René
> Mputu Biduaya. In an 18 June 2002 letter to JED, Kikaya denied any
> involvement in the blackmail efforts and intimidation campaign designed to
> force RAGA to stop criticising the government.
>
> The minister described the remarks reported by JED as "gratuitous" and
> "fabrications aimed at having our foreign partners believe that the
private
> press in the Congo is bullied by the authorities."
>
> With regards to the arrests of journalists, the minister accused JED of
> constantly evoking old statistics in order to tarnish the Democratic
> Republic of Congo's image.
>
> In a 20 June letter of response to Kikaya, JED confirmed that all the
> information cited by the organisation was obtained from official sources
and
> credible eyewitness accounts. JED deplored the fact that the minister
> responsible for communications and the press would describe such serious
> attacks on press freedom as "imaginary incidents."
>
> In the same letter, JED listed several recent cases of journalists who
were
> either arrested or detained. They clearly disprove the minister's
> allegations that journalists are not under threat in the part of the
country
> under government control.
>
> JED cited the case of Félix Kabuizi, publication director of the daily "La
> Référence Plus", who was questioned at length at the National Intelligence
> Agency (Agence nationale des renseignements, ANR) offices on 19 June. The
> journalist was questioned about an article that reported the recent
> disappearance of seven leaders of the rebel movement Rassemblement
congolais
> pour la démocratie - Mouvement de libération (RCD-ML). The seven leaders
> were reportedly taken by soldiers to an undisclosed location. Kabuizi was
> threatened and warned not to write about such incidents, which, according
to
> his interrogators, "may discourage other candidates from returning to the
> country."
>
> One week earlier, Nyemabo Kalenga, publisher of the newspaper "La
Tribune",
> was detained illegally for over 10 hours at the ANR offices. In an earlier
> article, the journalist had denounced a fraud case implicating a Lebanese
> citizen.
>
> For further information, contact D. M'Baya Tshimanga, president,
Journaliste
> en danger (JED), B.P. 633 Kinshasa 1, Democratic Republic of Congo, tel.
> +243 99 29 323, +243 99 29 345, fax: +243 12 21974, e-mail:
> [email protected], [email protected], Internet:
> http://www.jed-congo.org
>
> The information contained in this alert and update is the sole
> responsibility of JED. In citing this material for broadcast or
publication,
> please credit JED.
> _________________________________________________________________
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