The Observatory of Press Freedom in Africa (OLPA) is today asking for the return of the working equipment of Pierre Kandayi, journalist at Radio Kilimanjaro, a community station which broadcasts in Tshikapa, capital of the province of Kasaï, in the center of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
On June 9, 2023, Pierre Kandayi was reporting on a rally organized by members of Lucha (Fight for Change), a pro-democracy movement, to demand a drop in the cost of water connection by the public company Regideso in Tshikapa, increased from 220 to 310 US dollars. During this report, an agent of the Congolese National Police (PNC) confiscated Pierre Kandayi’s work equipment, two telephones, accusing him of covering a rally which had been banned by the mayor of the town of Tshikapa. The police officer then ordered the journalist to delete the images he had acquired before seizing his phones.
OLPA strongly condemns this act, which clearly violates the freedom of the press, guaranteed by Congolese law as well as by international legal instruments relating to human rights. Consequently, the organization demands the immediate and unconditional return of the confiscated material.
This type of act against journalists remains all too common in the DRC and constitutes a serious obstacle to the work of journalists. The importance of a free and independent media for the development of a democratic and enlightened society should not be underestimated. Measures must be taken to guarantee the safety of journalists as well as their freedom of expression