Democratic Republic of Congo: Despite peace accord, no release in sight for two jailed journalists

July 29, 1999

His Excellency Laurent-Désiré Kabila
President of the Democratic Republic of Congo
Ngaliema, Kinshasa
Democratic Republic of Congo

Your Wxcellency,

CPJ is greatly alarmed by the continued imprisonment of journalists Mbakulu Pambu Diambu and Godefroid Kiangwe Buleya. With the Lusaka peace accord now in place, we demand the immediate and unconditional release of both journalists.

Pambu Diambu, president of the Matadi chapter of the Congolese Press Union (UPC) and a broadcaster with the private station Radio Television Matadi (RTM), was arrested in late November 1998. He was charged with breaching state security for hosting a television program on which he interviewed representatives of the Congolese Rally for Democracy rebel forces, which have been opposing government forces along the Tanzanian border.

Kiangwe Buleya, editor of the Kinshasa-based independent weekly ‘Mukuba’ and president of the Congolese National Freedom of Expression and Human Rights Defense Fund, has been in detention since June 22, 1999, on criminal libel charges initiated by Kyungu wa Kumwaza, a former governor of Katanga Province. Buleya was arrested in connection with a June 14, 1999 editorial in which he quoted public statements by Kumwaza inciting Katanga natives to attack the Babemba tribes under the pretext that Lunda Bululu, a leader of the Rally for Democracy rebel groups, is a Babemba. In his article, Buleya called Kumwaza’s speech demagogic, insisting that the country needed less tribal animosity and more social cohesion.

The imprisonment of Pambu Diambu and Kiangwe Buleya are clear violations of the internationally recognized right of journalists to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas of all kinds. These rights are guaranteed by Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and Article 9 of the African Charter of Human and People’s Rights, to all of which, we respectfully remind Your Excellency, the Democratic Republic of Congo is a signatory.

As a nonpartisan organization of journalists dedicated to the defense of press freedom worldwide, CPJ advocates for the safety of all journalists and other media workers. We had hoped that the peace accord of July 10, 1999 between Your Excellency’s government and other parties involved in the armed conflict raging throughout Africa’s Great Lakes region, would put an end to the long-standing persecution of our journalist colleagues in the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, CPJ is aware that as of today conditions remain unchanged. We deplore the fact that since the beginning of this year alone, 24 journalists have been arbritarily detained, attacked, harrassed, threatened, or censored in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

We demand that Your Excellency order the immediate and unconditional release of Mbakulu Pambu Diambu and Godefroid Kiangwe Buleya. Furthermore, we urge Your Excellency to publicly condemn restrictions on press freedom in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and to commit your government to create an environment in which journalists are able to work freely, without fear of reprisal.

We thank you for your attention to these urgent matters, and eagerly await your comments.

Sincerely,

Ann K. Cooper
Executive Director


Join CPJ in Protesting Attacks on the Press in the Democratic Republic of Congo

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His Excellency Laurent-Désiré Kabila
President of the Democratic Republic of Congo
Ngaliema, Kinshasa
Democratic Republic of Congo