Democratic Republic of the Congo / Africa

Government-allied Wazalendo militiamen have threatened to kill or capture one reporter and to burn down another’s radio station because of unfavorable coverage, as frontlines shift under diplomatic pressure for peace in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Rwanda-backed M23 and Congo River Alliance (AFC) rebels — who made unprecedented territorial gains in early 2025…

The eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has joined a growing number of conflicts where drones are being used to target journalists, as two strikes hit a community radio station, followed by calls and messages threatening further attacks over its reporting on militia abuses. The bombing of Radio Tuungane in South Kivu province’s rebel-controlled Minembwe…

Kinshasa, May 13, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to release journalist Stéphane Shisso, who was arrested in January after reporting on erosion caused by mining, and to ensure the safety of his colleague Guelord Shamba, who is in hiding. “It is a grave injustice that…

Kinshasa, April 1, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls for the release of Congolese community radio director Espoir Mbata, who was detained by M23 rebels on Sunday over his WhatsApp post about their potential withdrawal from an eastern town.   “Working conditions have becoming increasingly hazardous for journalists in the eastern Democratic Republic of the…

Journalists in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo face constant danger as warring parties seek to control information.  In January, February, and early March, government forces and rebel groups both detained journalists over their reporting, including several for simply conducting interviews, while the rebel forces that control parts of the country’s eastern provinces held military positions in…

Kinshasa, January 29, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists urges authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to immediately release Thomson Unji Batangalwa, who was detained on January 22 in the eastern city of Baraka, the latest journalist to be harassed for reporting on the fluid security situation. “Information about the war in eastern DRC…

For Congolese journalist Prince Cikala Mihigo, the first day of 2026 brought a brutal reminder of the risks of reporting: rebel soldiers beat and kicked him while questioning him about his work, leaving his face swollen and raw.   Cikala was assaulted at a checkpoint in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s eastern city of Bukavu,…

Kinshasa, December 23, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to urgently ensure the safety and freedom of television host John Kabamba, who went missing from Kinshasa, the capital, on December 14, and to reverse his 90-day suspension from media activities. “The disappearance of journalist John Kabamba…

Kinshasa, December 10, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to release Ali Male, a reporter with the privately owned En Quete News site and Kinshasa-based Kin24 TV, who was arrested on December 8 over a report about an army colonel. “DRC authorities must release Ali and…

Kinshasa, November 24, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to ensure the safety of Michael Tenende, who was threatened with arrest by a mayor after his reporting criticized her governance — the second time Anne-Marie Tshiabu has made such threats against a journalist. “Kabinda mayor Anne-Marie…