IFEX- News from the international freedom of expression community
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ALERT UPDATE - DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

16 October 2001

Government returns private radio-television stations RTKM and Canal Kin to
their owners

SOURCE: Journaliste en danger (JED), Kinshasa

**Updates IFEX alerts of 13 June, 13 March and 8 February 2001, 1 December,
13 and 1 November, 30, 23 and 3 October and 21 September 2000**

(JED/IFEX) - By way of Ministerial Decree No. 04/MCP/005/2001 of 13 October
2001, made public on 14 October, Minister of Communications and Press
Kikaya
bin Karubi has decided to lift the measure that placed the RTKM and Canal
Kin stations under the direct supervision of the Ministry of Communications
and Press.

In his explanation of the motive behind the decree, Minister Kikaya said
that he based his decision on "the measures outlined in Article 8 of Press
Law No. 96/002 of 22 June 1996, which establishes freedom of opinion and
expression, the different measures introduced by the stations and channels
concerned, the recommendations of the inter-ministerial committee
responsible for the review of the files of press companies placed under
direct supervision, and the recommendations of the National Conference on
Human Rights," which was held in Kinshasa last June.

To recall, the two stations were owned by Aubin Ngongo Luwowo, Marshal
Mobutu's former minister of information, who is exiled in France, and
Jean-Pierre Bemba (president of the Mouvement pour la Liberation du
Congo, a
rebel movement that controls the Democratic Republic of Congo's
north-eastern region with Ugandan support). The stations were confiscated
on
22 September 2000 by decision of then minister of communications Dominique
Sakombi Inongo. Acting on behalf of Laurent Kabila's
government,
Sakombi justified his decision to nationalise RTKM by the fact that "the
funds used [by the station"> to acquire equipment came from the public
treasury." No proof ever materialised to back up this claim. As for Canal
Kin, the station was punished because its owner became a rebel leader. On
30
October 2000, despite protests from around the world, Sakombi renamed the
confiscated private stations. RTKM and Canal Kin became RTNC 4
(Radio television nationale congolaise) and RTNC 3, respectively,
making the
Congolese state the largest owner in the audio-visual sector. The stations'
programming schedules were chosen by the minister of communications. This
featured the aggressive reintroduction of the cult of personality, as in
the
"good old days" of triumphant Mobutism.

JED salutes Minister Kikaya's political courage and welcomes this decision,
which reverses an abuse of power that led to the flagrant violation of
press
fredom and the right to private property. To ensure that no one will
unjustly use public office for a settling of accounts in the future, JED
asks that an inventory be carried out and that all the guilty parties be
punished in accordance with the country's laws.

For further information, contact D. M'Baya Tshimanga, president, or Mwamba
wa ba Mulamba, secretary-general, Journaliste en danger (JED), B.P. 633
Kinshasa 1, Democratic Republic of Congo, tel. +243 99 29 323, +243, 99 29
345, fax: +243 12 21974, e-mail: [email protected],
[email protected], Internet: http://www.jed-congo.org

The information contained in this alert update is the sole responsibility
of
JED. In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit
JED.
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