IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
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>
> ALERT - REPUBLIC OF CONGO
>
> 5 July 2002
>
> Senior police official threatens journalist
>
> SOURCE: Reporters sans frontières (RSF), Paris
>
> (RSF/IFEX) - Colonel Jean François Denguet, Police Services
> director-general, recently threatened to kill Radio France Internationale
> (RFI) and RSF correspondent Alain Shungu. The incident took place in
> Brazzaville. The death threat followed the publication of an article in
> which it was reported that the colonel banned a meeting that had been
> organised by opposition leader André Milongo in Makélélé. In addition, the
> colonel also threatened to personally contact the Communications Ministry
> and see to it that the journalist's accreditation was revoked.
>
> RSF asked General Pierre Oba, the congolese interior minister, to censure
> Colonel Denguet. "We will hold you responsible if anything should happen
to
> Alain Shungu," stated Robert Ménard, the organisation's secretary-general.
> Moreover, RSF urged Communications Minister François Ibovi to reject
Colonel
> Denguet's request should he seek to revoke Shungu's accreditation.
"Revoking
> the accreditation of a journalist who did nothing more than exercise his
> professional duties would constitute an attack on press freedom," remarked
> Ménard.
>
> According to information collected by RSF, on 27 June 2002, Shungu was
> summoned to Colonel Denguet's office. During the interrogation, Denguet
> threatened to kill Shungu. According to the journalist, the colonel
stated,
> "This is the last time that I will summon you to my office. Next time I
will
> have you shot or, at minimum, ensure that your accreditation is revoked."
>
> RSF also recalled that Bruno Mienahata and Malonga Bouka, publication
> director and editor-in-chief of the weekly "Le Coq", respectively, were
> summoned by the Brazzaville police in November 2001. They were accused of
> publishing an article entitled, "The Senior Command is Decaying Because of
> Corruption". "Le Coq" reported that the Chadian community in the Republic
of
> Congo allegedly gave a bribe to the interim commander of the national
police
> in order to assure the release of five Chadian citizens who had entered
the
> country illegally.
>
> For further information, contact Jean-François Julliard at RSF, rue
Geoffroy
> Marie, Paris 75009, France, tel: +33 1 44 83 84 84, fax: +33 1 45 23 11
51,
> e-mail: [email protected], Internet: http://www.rsf.fr
>
> The information contained in this alert is the sole responsibility of RSF.
> In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit RSF.
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