MINISTER THREATENS TO CLOSE FRENCH RADIO SERVICE; SIMILAR

UNCLAS KINSHASA 000425 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O.12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KDEM KPAO PREL PHUM CG SUBJECT: MINISTER THREATENS TO CLOSE FRENCH RADIO SERVICE; SIMILAR THREATS IN PAST, HOWEVER, HAVE NOT BEEN ACTED ON SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PROTECT ACCORDINGLY ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Communications and Media Affairs Minister Norbert Mende Omalanga threatened last week to close Radio France International (RFI) for allegedly attempting to destabilize the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (GDRC). According to a French embassy source, a number of similar threats have been made over the past two years as GDRC authorities have been increasingly critical of RFI's coverage of the government's policies and actions. The minister, who is known for making ill-advised statements, does not appear to have spoken in this case on instructions from above. GDRC threats against RFI are essentially hollow as Kinshasa listeners can easily pick up the service's FM broadcasts from across the river in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo. Freedom of the press in the DRC is fragile and we will continue to monitor all threats against the independent media. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) During an April 22 meeting of the Alliance for the Presidential Majority (AMP),a coalition of political parties that supports President Joseph Kabila, Mende warned that the government might shut down the French Government's international radio service, Radio France International (RFI). The statement was made in the context of government accusations that RFI reporting on the DRC is biased. According to Kelefa Kamano, the information officer of the French Embassy, government officials have made similar threats over the past 30 months without actually following through on them. There is an ongoing discussion between RFI and the GDRC, Kelefa said, the outcome of which is unpredictable. ¶3. (U) Note: On July 3, 2006, RFI correspondent Ghislaine Dupont was expelled from the DRC. The GDRC accused Dupont of working in the Congo without proper accreditation. Observers have pointed out that in fact Dupont had filed stories alleging official discrimination against Congolese Tutsis. Prior to her expulsion, Dupont worked in the DRC in 1996-97 covering the final days of the Mobuto regime and filing reports on Laurent Kabila's final assault on Kinshasa. End note. ¶4. (U) Note: RFI has transmission towers in Kinshasa and in Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of Congo, which is directly across the Congo River from Kinshasa. Listeners can also access the radio station's online news and other programs. In effect, Mende's threats are hollow as the GDRC does not have the ability to prevent Kinshasa listeners from tuning in to RFI's broadcasts on frequencies originating in Brazzaville. End note. ¶5. (SBU) Comment: Mende is well known for intemperate statements. Late last year he said publicly that Indians were not welcome in the DRC as part of MONUC, the United Nations peacekeeping operation, thereby contributing to an extended crisis that has been resolved with India's decision just last week, after apologies from the DRC, not to withdraw from MONUC. We do not believe Mende was acting in this instance on orders from above, but the long-standing dispute between the DRC and RFI could escalate further, even if the GDRC is unable to prevent Kinshasa's citizens from listening to RFI's broadcasts from Brazzaville. Also, it is unlikely that the GDRC will directly attack French interests, as it is well known that the French Government has been considering for some time moving all Air France operations to Brazzaville, which would severely hamper GDRC officials' ability to travel to and from Europe. Although Mende and other high-ranking GDRC authorities have previously closed down newspapers, these actions were short-lived and the newspapers were re-opened, usually just days after they were closed. Nonetheless, freedom of the press in the Democratic Republic of the Congo cannot be taken for granted. We will continue to monitor this and all threats to press freedom in the DRC. End comment. GARVELINK