DRC suspends Al Jazeera for broadcasting interview with M23 leader
Members of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Fardc) stand guard against the M23 rebel group in Lubero, North Kivu Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo on October 27, 2024.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has suspended broadcasts by the Qatar-based Al Jazeera network for 90 days “on a precautionary basis”.
The decision by the Conseil Supérieur de l’Audiovisuel et de la Communication (CSAC, French for broadcasting and communication council) came on Monday, three days after the Information Minister Patrick Muyaya announced the withdrawal of accreditation for Al Jazeera journalists in the DRC.
The CSAC accused the Qatar-based channel of “broadcasting an interview with a leader of the M23 terrorist group, without cross-checking sources or contradictory opinions, with the aim of destabilising the institutions of the DRC”.
The CSAC statement calls on cable TV companies operating in the DRC to “strictly respect” the decision. CSAC also calls on “the public prosecutor at the Council of State and the National Satellite Telecommunications Network to contribute to the proper execution of the decision”.
Last Wednesday, CSAC also issued a warning to the French media (France 24, Radio France Internationale and TV5 Monde), which it criticised for “regularly highlighting the alleged advances of terrorist groups active on our territory, while at the same time undermining the security of our country”.
As the war in North Kivu between the M23 and the Congolese army intensifies, coverage of conflict zones and related issues in the DRC is currently severely restricted.