[ALERT] – In a letter sent Monday, July 1, 2019, to the President of the Superior Council of Audiovisual and Communication (CSAC), Journalist in Danger (JED) asked him to communicate on the official reasons that led the shutdown of the satellite radio (RTV1), a private channel broadcasting in Kinshasa and owned by Mr. Adolphe Muzito, a leader of « Lamuka », a platform that brings together opponents of the regime of President Felix Tshisekedi.

In this letter, JED reports that it found, on Saturday, June 29, 2019 around 12 hours, that the RTVS1 had suddenly stopped broadcasting. This cut occurred at the time this media was broadcasting a program called « Lumuka Special ».

During this broadcast, the guests called on the population to participate in a peaceful march on June 30, 2019, in particular to demand « the truth of the polls ». This demonstration of the opposition was prohibited, the day before, by the urban authority on the grounds that June 30 was a commemorative day of the independence of RD Congo.

Contacted by JED, Bijou Ndjodji, director of information at RTVS 1 and presenter of the show « Special Lumuka », said he had telephone contacts with the officials of Teleconsult and Renatelstat (National Network Satellite Telecommunication). « After calls, the head of Renatelsat ended up telling us that he was ordered by the Presidency of the Republic, » Bijou Ndjodji said.

For JED, whatever the grievances that may be brought against this program, it is disproportionate to suspend all the activities of RTVS 1 because of a single broadcast.

« JED urges the CSAC, a body empowered to regulate the Congolese media and promote freedom of the press, to get involved to stop censorship that denies information to hundreds of people and obtain the resumption of broadcasts of this media » , Concludes JED.

Journalist in Danger