DRC: Two journalists receive death threats
Rose Lukanu Tshakwiza, a journalist with Congolese National Radiotelevision's (Radiotélévision nationale congolaise, RTNC) Lubumbashi station and a local Radio France International (RFI) correspondent, have been receiving death threats since 25 May 2004. The threats were reportedly received from anonymous phone callers claiming to be members of the youth branch of the Union of Congolese Federalists (Union des fédéralistes congolais, UNAFEC), a party whose national president is also justice minister.
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IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
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ALERT - DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
26 May 2004
Two journalists receive death threats
SOURCE: Journaliste en danger (JED), Kinshasa
(JED/IFEX) - Rose Lukanu Tshakwiza, a journalist with Congolese National
Radiotelevision's (Radiotélévision nationale congolaise, RTNC) Lubumbashi
station and a local Radio France International (RFI) correspondent, has been
receiving death threats since 25 May 2004. The threats were reportedly
received from anonymous phone callers claiming to be members of the youth
branch of the Union of Congolese Federalists (Union des fédéralistes
congolais, UNAFEC), a party whose national president is also justice
minister. Gabriel Kyungu wa Kumwanza, a parliamentarian and former governor
of Katanga province during the ethnic purges of 1992, is the party's local
leader.
According to information received by JED, UNAFEC militants, including
Kumwanza's advisor Dieudonné Bamoina and the advisor to the justice
minister, known only as "Sakatelo", accuse Tshakwiza of failing to mention,
during the 24 May broadcast of her show "Guest of the Week" ("L'Invité de la
semaine"), the deaths resulting from a heavy-handed police break-up of a 19
May UNAFEC march of nude women in Lubumbashi. The marchers were protesting
the passing-over of their own local leader, Kumwanza, in the appointment of
a new governor to Katanga province. Tshakwiza claims, however, that there
were no deaths at the march and that there is consensus around the fact,
adding, "I should not have to hide the truth to please anyone."
In a related case, Pierrot Senga, a journalist at the same local RTNC
station and a Lubumbashi correspondent for the Kinshasa-based newspaper "Le
Révélateur", has also received death threats. During the week of 21 May, the
paper ran a story on the uproar created in Lubumbashi by Kumwanza when he
was passed over for the provincial governor's appointment. Kumwanza has
alleged wrongdoing in the affair.
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, +243 815 13 05 85, fax: +243 88 01 625, e-mail:
[email protected], [email protected], Internet:
http://www.jed-congo.org
The information contained in this alert is the sole responsibility of JED.
In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit JED.
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