United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa)
Nina Yacoubian
22 July 2008
interview
After more than three years of loyal service to MONUC, Kemal Saïki, mission spokesperson since January 2005, is leaving the Democratic Republic of Congo, to take up a post as director of Public Information for UNAMID, the UN mission in Darfur, Sudan. In an interview to the website before his departure, he gave his impressions on his work for MONUC, the Congolese people, journalism in the DRC and his relationship with the Congolese media.
What was your first job as spokesperson? In which missions did you work?
What is essential through all these years is that the media and I maintained a very high level of reciprocal professional and personal respect.
Its not my first job as spokesperson, my first post was with the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), then I had a similar job for UN Industrial Development, and then at the African Development Bank, the United Nations peacekeeping missions in Sierra Leone and Burundi and finally with MONUC in the DR Congo. Therefore, it is a post I have held on many occasions.
What is the role of Spokesperson during a post conflict process like that in the DRC? How can the spokesperson contribute to the peace process and give a good image of the UN mission?
The spokesperson conveys the mandate of the mission and its work, because his function is precisely to give news on mission activities and to express the position of the mission.
He does not present his personal opinions or allude to his personal positions. What he does is articulate the official position of the mission, such as it is conceived by its leadership.
The role has an influence and impact in being able to translate rather complex issues into a language with images, which will make it possible for them to be understood by the greatest number of people.
How were you able to direct the weekly MONUC press conference with the same enthusiasm, patience and humour? What motivates you?
I believe that the first thing is to like your profession. When one likes what one does, in general one does rather well. In addition, I must say that my weekly meeting with the media goes beyond the media, to the Congolese population via Radio Okapi, and this was something extremely interesting and gratifying.
Therefore, enthusiasm, yes, its something which spurred me on, which pushed me to try to do better, but in addition I always had the Congolese media and people who follow us attentively, and they merit our best efforts. Thus I had the obligation to deliver to them what they expected, and what they wanted to know.
I also believe that you need to be serious about your work, but not take it too seriously. You mentioned humour, it's important, because otherwise one becomes pompous, a giver of lessons. It's not the way to proceed, and moreover it's not in my nature.
How was your relationship with the Congolese media?
It was an excellent relationship. One could say it's like a relationship one would find between a couple. There are moments when one gets along perfectly and one is in harmony, and other moments when you clash and there is no agreement.
But I believe that what is essential through all these years is that the media and I maintained a very high level of reciprocal professional and personal respect. That is to say familiarity and good individual and group relationships. There may be clashes and disagreements but what is most important is to have a high level of professional and mutual respect.
As for the Congolese press and myself, without boasting I think that I reached this level of professional respect because what makes a good spokesperson is credibility - technically, politically and from a human standpoint.
I think that there is press freedom, in spite of attempts to control or smother it.
Credibility can be acquired only if you respect the people you work with, and you gain respect in return. I believe that it is one of the satisfactions that I got from this post.
What do you think of journalism in the DRC? What does it still lack?
It is difficult to make an overall judgment because the Congolese press is diversified, it has different means, a different impact, and its journalists have levels of knowledge and training which are different.
The problems of the Congolese press are those of the African press in general, such as economic difficulties and lack of professional training structures.
For example, a house of the press does not exist here, and it could be considered one day, as it would allow a forum of professional dialogue, where journalists of differing backgrounds could explore their ways of thinking and possibly receive information.
Journalists should earn a decent living, but this is not always the case. There are always economic difficulties, but that reflects the reality of the country.
I believe that as the country progresses, the press will not fail to also progress, because its part of the lifeblood of a country.
Is there true press freedom in the DRC?
I think that there is press freedom, in spite of attempts to control or smother it. We have often denounced in our press conferences obstacles to the exercise of the profession of journalism, to the freedom of the press.
On the other hand there is in the Congolese press a freedom of tone; there is a will to say things, even sometimes in a polemical way, even sometimes in a way not completely professional. These are the gaps in a proper system.
But, there is a press which is diversified, which does not fail to challenge the power in place and the established authorities, and also the UN mission. I believe that there is a promptness of this press, which despite all the attempts to choke it and control it, the journalists and the Congolese press are aware of their role and try to play it to the maximum.
How can good journalism contribute to a peace process?
Firstly, I believe that the role of journalism and the press in a peace process is essential. It's similar to the role of spokesperson where you take extremely complex issues to understand; you extract the essence and translate it into a language which will be easily perceived by your public, your readers and your listeners.
Like any peace process, there are issues arising from complex situations, and they need to be explained so that your public will understand.
In many countries, there cannot be real development if one does not take into account and control the problems of governorship, and in particular the problems of dishonest people who use or divert financial resources of the state which should normally contribute to the good of the people.
There too, the press plays a big role, a role of guardian, either through investigative journalism, an official investigation, or by challenging the power in place on problems of governorship. Therefore, they have a crucial role to play.
But I believe that what are most important are the role of education as well as the role of explanation which the press plays. But we cannot exclude the press themselves from governance problems; they sometimes have problems in terms of failure to observe a professional code of ethics.
Do you think that the DRC is on a good path to peace?
I would be prudently optimistic. I believe one must be careful because one cannot rule out that the situation may deteriorate, that it does not progress or there may be some negative impacts. But it's necessary to continue, the Congolese people understand this.
What are your feelings towards the Congolese people?
They are an incredible people. I have much admiration for the Congolese because what is striking to me are the tests they have undergone. It is undeniable that in other circumstances or other areas of the world, people would have simply given up, or tried to live on the margins.
The Congolese people have a capacity to absorb events and then to continue with a great humour and resistance, without bitterness or a sense of catastrophe.
People know the hard tests which they undergo. Despite everything, this does not prevent them from continuing to try to work, create, live and also to show a great mood which is characteristic of the Congolese.
It is undeniable that in other circumstances or other areas of the world, people would have simply given up, or tried to live on the margins.
I have much admiration for these people because they could very well have decided that there was no more to do but lie down and die, but they continue, they cling, they hold on, and that is remarkable.
What are the remaining challenges in the DRC?
I believe that the main challenge is to succeed in translating into reality the enormous potential of this country. Congo has 10% of the world's hydroelectric capacity, with the world's second largest rainforest, extraordinary mineral resources and the principal resource which is its 60 million inhabitants.
The big challenge is to arrange it so that the richest country in the world, resource wise, with one of the poorest populations can succeed in reconciling so that potential of this country is fulfilled, and its people can finally profit from its resources.
What is your strongest memory of the DRC?
It's the organisation and holding of the national elections in 2006. There are people in the DRC who rose at 3am in the morning and traveled between 10 and 25 kilometres, often with a baby on their backs, and waited with patience to do their duties as citizens.
They did not do this only once, but several times, firstly for the referendum on the Constitution, then to register and receive their voter registration card, then for the first round of the election, afterwards for the second round and finally for the legislative elections.
Despite the problems and imperfections I believe that this demonstrated the strong will of the Congolese to start to take their destiny into their hands.
Each week, your voice was in Congolese houses, streets and markets with MONUC's message of peace. What is your last message to the Congolese people?
There is a small anecdote about when I was in Masisi, in a village where I stopped to buy something in a small shop. I asked for batteries, the person looked at me and said to me "but you are Mr. Kemal." I said: "Yes, its true, how did you know?"
She said: "I recognised your voice." That surprised and pleased me, as there was someone living in the middle of North Kivu, who listened to Radio Okapi, and who attentively listened to the point where she was able to recognise my voice.
I never speak more than once a week on the radio, but nevertheless that marked this person, and it was not so much the respect to me personally that pleased me, but that there was somebody who had listened so attentively that I belong to their daily framework of reference.
I do not really have a message to address, other than to say that there is hope, as their work shows. They all know the proverb: helps yourself and the world will help you. MONUC intends, like all peacekeeping missions, to leave one day.
Of course the agencies of the United Nations will continue to assist but the Congolese know very well that those on which they must count are initially themselves. They do not have illusions on this subject. I believe that they envisage this with great courage.
I think that things progress in a good sense. In spite of setbacks which can happen and problems which can emerge, they have the capacity to take care of themselves, they do it in many ways, and one day they will succeed in making this big country the big country that it is.
But to translate into reality, I tell them the simple message which I often give at the end of the weekly press conference: That God guards you.
Reaction of the Congolese press at the departure of the Spokesperson
Shortly after the announcement of the departure of Kemal Saïki for Darfur to the press in the MONUC conference of 16 July 2008, the press unanimously saluted, through various leading articles, his great professionalism and availability to journalists.
Even the daily newspaper, L'Avenir, which was never easy on the Mission, reports in its columns of Thursday 17 July 2008 that: "the journalists could not contain their emotion" with the announcement of the departure of Kemal Saïki, who had become more than a friend for them.
This was because: "the man understands how to communicate and the press conference that he directs is a true information source for the press," L'Avenir concluded.
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