Congo: Fify Kibwana Physically Assaulted Outside Kinshasa Court
Location: Congo, KinshasaDate: August 2, 2022
*** Updated on August 11, 2022
Fify Kibwana, a reporter with the privately owned Vert Pâturages television broadcaster, was physically assaulted outside a court in Kinshasa while covering a hearing involving opposition politician Jean-Marc Kabund. On August 2, perpetrators, who identified themselves as supporters of President Tshisekedi’s political party, attacked Fify as she interviewed people outside the court. The Coalition For Women In Journalism vehemently condemns the attack on Fify and calls on Democratic Republic of Congo’s security apparatus to ensure safer working conditions for reporters in the field. It is alarming that perpetrators were able to flee the court premises after attacking a journalist on the job.
On August 2, Fify was interviewing supporters of Kabund outside the court premises, when she was attacked. The perpetrators, who identified themselves as supporters of President Félix Tshisekedi’s political party Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), pushed her, pulled her scarf and verbally threatened her against conducting interviews of activists who supported Kabund and criticized Tshisekedi, according to the journalist. The perpetrators also attempted to seize Fify’s camera equipment and damage her car. According to a local report by the African Press Freedom Observatory, in French named L’Observatoire de la Liberté de la Presse en Afrique (OLPA) there is video of the attack as well.
Kabund is a political opponent and Tshisekedi’s former right-hand man. He was a leading figure behind Tshisekedi’s rise to power and is now opposition leader after he formed his own party earlier this year. Kabund was arrested on August 9, on unspecified charges over a controversial remark about the incumbent president. His lawyers say he is accused of contempt of the head of state after speech calling him “a danger”, according to Reuters. The fallout between Tshidesekedi and Kabund has drawn attention to emerging fault-lines in the country’s leadership and could spell uncertainty for the ruling Sacred Union coalition as the 2023 presidential election nears, political analysts have said.
Days prior to the attack on Fify, another reporter Daniel Aloterembi was assaulted by police outside the same court during another hearing involving Kabund. Police officers chased and punched him, briefly held him on the street and then let him go after seizing his phones and some cash. This happened while Aloterembi was wearing his press vest. The police had also shot tear gas canisters at journalists and Kabund’s supporters present at the court premises.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is appalled at the attack on Fify Kibwana in broad daylight and the impunity the perpetrators are evidently benefitting from. We reiterate, that journalism is not a crime and the authorities must ensure that the independent press can report freely on matters of public interest. We extend support to Fify and stand in solidarity with her and her colleagues. The DRC authorities must ensure that journalists covering sensitive matters are able to work without threats to their lives. The CFWIJ urges all political stakeholders to uphold press freedom and ensure that the right to information is not disrupted by attacks on media personnel. No democracy can hope to flourish without a robust independent press!
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
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