Vienna — In an 18 May 2001 letter to Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Joseph Kabila, IPI expressed grave concern about the recent closure of the Kinshasa based private newspaper "La Libre Afrique" and suspects political motives, unmentioned in the official explanation, are the reason for the closure.
According to IPI's sources, Minister of Communications and Press Kikaya bin Karubi banned the publication of the newspaper "La Libre Afrique", as well as its supplements "Le Derby" and "Incognito" in the DRC on 10 May. The minister justified his decision by saying, "The administrative documents received by the newspaper 'La Libre Afrique' and its supplements 'Le Derby' and 'Incognito' were issued on the basis of false statements made to the administration with regard to the newspaper's and its printer's addresses, as well as the publication director's status as a professional journalist." Kikaya added that "La Libre Afrique" failed to fulfil its legal obligation to publish the name and the address of the printer in each copy of the newspaper, "which would allow for the verification of the newspaper's administrative and jurisdictional acts."
Apart from a procedural illegality related to the ban - the 48-hour timeframe for banning publications, stipulated by Article 44 of the DRC press law, was exceeded by almost two months - there are worrying political motives which seem to have prompted the closure of "La Libre Afrique".
The newspaper recently accused Zimbabwean troops, the main allies of President Kabila's government, of womanising and spreading AIDS in the DRC and of failing to recapture any of Congo's territory lost to Ugandan and Rwandan-backed rebels, who are fighting to overthrow the government. In addition, the newspaper questioned the continued stay of the Zimbabwean troops in the DRC, saying they were a drain on the country's meagre financial resources and were not helping to win the war against the rebels. "Since the Zimbabweans came to Congo, they have not recaptured a single village," argued the newspaper, "so why do they have to stay here?"
Aside from these claims, the newspaper stated that the US$20 per day given to Zimbabwean soldiers was ten times higher than the daily rate paid to Congolese soldiers. It also claimed that Air Zimbabwe was receiving free petrol from a Congolese company and that Zimbabwe had been granted huge mineral concessions in the DRC.
Minister Karubi, who until his appointment to President Kabila's cabinet last month served as the DRC's ambassador to Zimbabwe, denied having acted under pressure from Zimbabwe in his decision to close down the paper. However, IPI's sources insist that Zimbabwean military commanders in the DRC directed the Congolese government to close "La Libre Afrique".
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Send appeals to the president: - welcoming the 17 May withdrawal by his government of the ban on political activities in the DRC - noting that, as a result of this development, you look forward to a revitalised climate of tolerance and respect for human rights in the country - further noting that you also regard the closure of "La Libre Afrique" as a gross violation of everyone's right to "seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers" as guaranteed by Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights - urging him to allow the newspaper to resume publishing immediately and unconditionally and to ensure that all necessary steps are taken to guarantee that journalists are allowed to report freely on developments in the DRC
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APPEALS TO:
His Excellency Joseph Kabila President of the Republic Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo C/o H.E. Ambassador to USA Fax: +1 202 234 2609
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
For further information, contact IPI at Spiegelgasse 2, A-1010 Vienna, Austria, tel: +43 1 512 90 11, fax: +43 1 512 90 14, e-mail: Michael Kudlak at mkudlak@freemedia.at, or Barbara Trionfi at info@freemedia.at, Internet site: www.freemedia.at
The information contained in this action alert update is the sole responsibility of IPI. In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit IPI.
