Democratic Republic Of The Congo: Notable Reuters Journalist Sonia Rolley Expelled From The Country
Location: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kinshasa
Date: November 11, 2022
Renowned French journalist Sonia Rolley was expelled by the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) from reporting on the region under the pretext that she was in breach of immigration rules. The Coalition For Women In Journalism denounces the expulsion of Sonia Rolley and demands that DRC authorities cease all acts of intimidation against the press.
Sonia Rolley, who has worked for Radio France Internationale (RFI) for 15 years, has been reporting on the Great Lakes region, holding positions including Rwanda correspondent and Democratic Republic of the Congo bureau chief. In 2021, her work included the so-called Congo Hold-up investigation, uncovering DRC elites’ alleged embezzlement of public funds.
On Tuesday, November 8, Rolley received a written warrant demanding her to present herself to immigration police in Kinshasa. The journalist said that the authorities confiscated her passport and put her on a flight to Paris without any explanation, nor did they allow her to gather any personal possessions.
The following day, Congo's Ministry of Communications and Media put out a statement noting that Rolley had not followed the mandatory procedure to continue exercising her profession in Congo and that she was "seen out with dignity." It is a requisite for foreign journalists in Congo to acquire accreditation from the communications ministry as well as a "courtesy" work visa.
In September, Rolley filed an application to acquire the accreditation necessary to commence an assignment coordinating Reuters news coverage in Congo. In October, while she waited for the application to be processed, she was granted permission to cover a climate conference in Kinshasa.
On October 24, Rolley was issued a three-month tourist visa the day before her work visa was due to expire. In the meantime, Reuters was pursuing a resolution of the journalist's application status.
On Friday, November 11, communications minister Patrick Muyaya said at a news conference that he had personally notified Rolley that she would not be granted accreditation. He then added, "From that moment, given that her visa would expire, she should have just left and maybe appeal." Muyaya concluded that the decision to expel the journalist was not to be viewed as a form of attack on freedom of the press but simply as an administrative decision.
In recent months, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been documented to carry out numerous attacks on the media. In early November, Journaliste En Danger, a local press freedom group published a report stating that “thinly veiled threats against the independent press” by the country’s military and a “reduction in the validity of accreditations, which must be renewed every six months.” are the new form of intimidation adopted by the authorities.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism stands in solidarity with Soniar Rolley and demands that DRC officials retract their decision to expel her from the country. We view this as an open attack on freedom of expression and democracy in the region.
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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