Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06KINSHASA1434
2006-09-13 17:42:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Kinshasa
Cable title:
BEMBA MEDIA IS BACK AND ALREADY SANCTIONED BY HAM
how-toVZCZCXYZ0046 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHKI #1434 2561742 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 131742Z SEP 06 FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4775 INFO RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
UNCLAS KINSHASA 001434
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KDEM KPKO CG ELECTIONS
SUBJECT: BEMBA MEDIA IS BACK AND ALREADY SANCTIONED BY HAM
REF: A. KINSHASA 1208
B. KINSHASA 1401
UNCLAS KINSHASA 001434
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KDEM KPKO CG ELECTIONS
SUBJECT: BEMBA MEDIA IS BACK AND ALREADY SANCTIONED BY HAM
REF: A. KINSHASA 1208
B. KINSHASA 1401
1. (U) Summary. One day after recommencing their broadcast
operations, two television stations owned by Congolese Vice
President Jean-Pierre Bemba were sanctioned by the High Media
Authority (HAM) for violating the media code of conduct. The
two stations had broadcast scenes from Bemba's political
rally on July 27 that had resulted in looting and police
deaths in Kinshasa. One government-controlled station was
also reprimanded for a lack of professional ethics during one
of its programs. We plan to meet soon with HAM President
Mutinga to try to shore up support for his institutions. End
summary.
2. (U) HAM President Modeste Mutinga announced September 12
that the HAM sanctioned two national television stations for
broadcasting programming in violation of the media code of
conduct. Canal Kin TV, owned by Vice President and
presidential candidate Bemba, was fined USD 10,000 for
showing images September 11 of the July 27 political rally
Bemba held at a local sports stadium in Kinshasa. Following
that speech, members and other sympathizers of his MLC party
looted and pillaged several buildings, including the
headquarters of the HAM, resulting in the deaths of at least
three police officers (ref A).
3. (U) Mutinga said the broadcast was in violation of the
DRC's electoral law, which stipulates that no
campaign-related images may be shown outside the political
campaign periods. (Note: The official campaign for the
second-round presidential election will likely begin no
earlier than September 28. End note.) Canal Kin TV officials
were given 48 hours to pay the fine or face the possibility
of being shut down. He likewise criticized the programming
director of CCTV, another Bemba-owned station, for
broadcasting similar images.
4. (U) Both stations had resumed broadcasting September 11
after having their signals restored by the Ministry of
Information. The Ministry, which is controlled by a member
of President Joseph Kabila's PPRD party, took the two
stations off the air August 20 at the beginning of the
fighting which erupted in the capital between Bemba's and
Kabila's forces. The delay in restoring the signals had been
a stumbling block in the negotiations between representatives
of Bemba and Kabila in the Mixed Commission established in
the wake of the August 20-22 violence.
5. (U) The HAM also issued a warning to
governmental-controlled (and pro-Kabila) RTNC for a September
8 program in which one of the participants used the names of
animals to describe certain political actors. The HAM's
ethics subcommittee censured the host of the program for not
following the professional code of ethics, as well as RTNC's
political director for insufficient training of the show's
production staff.
6. (U) Mutinaga further deplored the fact that three Kinshasa
stations -- RLTV, RMTV and Moliere TV -- remained off the air
because their signals had also been cut. He called upon the
Ministry of Information to turn them back on.
7. (U) In presenting his decision, Mutinga approved the
agreement signed by representatives of Kabila and Bemba
regulating media campaign coverage (ref B),and urged all
media outlets to strive for objectivity and impartiality.
Mutinga promised that in the future the HAM will react
swiftly to any violations of the code of conduct.
8. (SBU) Comment: It certainly would have been wiser for
Bemba and his media, so early after its resurrection, to
avoid a run-in with the HAM. While the high road still
eludes the Vice President, we do note that the offense
sanctioned by the HAM was more one of anticipating the
campaign calendar, rather than one of hateful provocation.
We are concerned, however, that the HAM dilutes its message
by bending over backward to be even-handed, as in pairing a
sanction against Bemba with a reprimand against a pro-Kabila
station in the same pronouncement. The Ambassador will meet
soon with HAM President Mutinga to raise this point, as well
as discuss ways we might help bolster its authority in
keeping the lid on extreme rhetoric during this sensitive
period. End comment.
MEECE
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KDEM KPKO CG ELECTIONS
SUBJECT: BEMBA MEDIA IS BACK AND ALREADY SANCTIONED BY HAM
REF: A. KINSHASA 1208
B. KINSHASA 1401
1. (U) Summary. One day after recommencing their broadcast
operations, two television stations owned by Congolese Vice
President Jean-Pierre Bemba were sanctioned by the High Media
Authority (HAM) for violating the media code of conduct. The
two stations had broadcast scenes from Bemba's political
rally on July 27 that had resulted in looting and police
deaths in Kinshasa. One government-controlled station was
also reprimanded for a lack of professional ethics during one
of its programs. We plan to meet soon with HAM President
Mutinga to try to shore up support for his institutions. End
summary.
2. (U) HAM President Modeste Mutinga announced September 12
that the HAM sanctioned two national television stations for
broadcasting programming in violation of the media code of
conduct. Canal Kin TV, owned by Vice President and
presidential candidate Bemba, was fined USD 10,000 for
showing images September 11 of the July 27 political rally
Bemba held at a local sports stadium in Kinshasa. Following
that speech, members and other sympathizers of his MLC party
looted and pillaged several buildings, including the
headquarters of the HAM, resulting in the deaths of at least
three police officers (ref A).
3. (U) Mutinga said the broadcast was in violation of the
DRC's electoral law, which stipulates that no
campaign-related images may be shown outside the political
campaign periods. (Note: The official campaign for the
second-round presidential election will likely begin no
earlier than September 28. End note.) Canal Kin TV officials
were given 48 hours to pay the fine or face the possibility
of being shut down. He likewise criticized the programming
director of CCTV, another Bemba-owned station, for
broadcasting similar images.
4. (U) Both stations had resumed broadcasting September 11
after having their signals restored by the Ministry of
Information. The Ministry, which is controlled by a member
of President Joseph Kabila's PPRD party, took the two
stations off the air August 20 at the beginning of the
fighting which erupted in the capital between Bemba's and
Kabila's forces. The delay in restoring the signals had been
a stumbling block in the negotiations between representatives
of Bemba and Kabila in the Mixed Commission established in
the wake of the August 20-22 violence.
5. (U) The HAM also issued a warning to
governmental-controlled (and pro-Kabila) RTNC for a September
8 program in which one of the participants used the names of
animals to describe certain political actors. The HAM's
ethics subcommittee censured the host of the program for not
following the professional code of ethics, as well as RTNC's
political director for insufficient training of the show's
production staff.
6. (U) Mutinaga further deplored the fact that three Kinshasa
stations -- RLTV, RMTV and Moliere TV -- remained off the air
because their signals had also been cut. He called upon the
Ministry of Information to turn them back on.
7. (U) In presenting his decision, Mutinga approved the
agreement signed by representatives of Kabila and Bemba
regulating media campaign coverage (ref B),and urged all
media outlets to strive for objectivity and impartiality.
Mutinga promised that in the future the HAM will react
swiftly to any violations of the code of conduct.
8. (SBU) Comment: It certainly would have been wiser for
Bemba and his media, so early after its resurrection, to
avoid a run-in with the HAM. While the high road still
eludes the Vice President, we do note that the offense
sanctioned by the HAM was more one of anticipating the
campaign calendar, rather than one of hateful provocation.
We are concerned, however, that the HAM dilutes its message
by bending over backward to be even-handed, as in pairing a
sanction against Bemba with a reprimand against a pro-Kabila
station in the same pronouncement. The Ambassador will meet
soon with HAM President Mutinga to raise this point, as well
as discuss ways we might help bolster its authority in
keeping the lid on extreme rhetoric during this sensitive
period. End comment.
MEECE