Kampala — THE just released United Nations report on illegal exploitation of the DR Congo and The Monitor newspaper came under attack at a debate on the media coverage of Africa.

Led by President Yoweri Museveni's press secretary, Mary Okurut, several speakers in the packed Makerere University Senate Hall criticised the 59-page report for "peddling uncorroborated information".

They also blasted The Monitor for being "too sensational and insensitive to public interest."

The public dialogue was organised by the US embassy in collaboration with the Washington DC-based Voice of America (VOA) and Makerere University Mass Communication Department.

Okurut said, "Most of the report is based on hearsay. If it goes to court, the judges will not take much time in throwing it out It has a lot of contradictions. Researchers and journalists commissioned by the UN are ill informed and did not carry out enough research." Ends