Fatshimetrie, a tragic event recently took place in Mwene-Ditu, highlighting the violence that some journalists can face in the exercise of their duties. Two of our colleagues, Stanis Kazadi and Jean Paul Koel Tshimanga, were victims of a brutal attack while covering a demonstration by motorcycle taxi drivers in the city.
This dark Thursday will remain etched in our memories. While the drivers were protesting against a parking tax imposed by the municipality, our journalists were attacked, robbed of their belongings and brutalized. The acts perpetrated against them are inexcusable and demonstrate unacceptable violence against those who simply seek to report the facts impartially.
Mohnabe Kanyinda, secretary of the UNPC Mwene-Ditu, strongly denounced these barbaric acts. The National Union of the Congolese Press (UNPC) Lomami-Sud responded by imposing an embargo on all media coverage of the activities of motorcycle taxi drivers in the region, as a show of solidarity with our attacked colleagues.
It is imperative that justice be done and that the perpetrators be brought to justice. These attacks on journalists are an attack on press freedom, a pillar of any democratic society.
As journalists, we must remain united in the face of such acts of violence and continue to exercise our duty to inform the public in full transparency. Journalists must not fear for their safety as they carry out their essential mission of reporting the facts and keeping the public informed.
This sad case reminds us of the need to protect press freedom and the rights of journalists. We stand with our attacked colleagues and demand that justice be done. Our pens will never be intimidated by violence, because the truth always has the last word.