VZCZCXRO8798
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHKI #0448 1271435
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 071435Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9565
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1253
INFO RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK

UNCLAS KINSHASA 000448 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O.12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM KPAO PREL PHUM CG
SUBJECT:    GOVERNMENT SHUTS DOWN FRENCH RADIO FREQUENCY 
            BUNIA; LARGEST POPULATION CENTERS NOT AFFECTED 
 
REF:       KINSHASA 426 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PROTECT ACCORDINGLY 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  Making good on previous threats, the Government 
of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (GDRC) shut down one of six 
frequencies allocated to Radio France Internationale (RFI) on May 5. 
 Singling out an RFI reporter for criticism, the Government alleged 
that RFI is fomenting "destabilization" and seeking to "balkanize" 
the Congo.  A government spokesman announced that more frequencies 
would be affected if RFI continued to report what GDRC considers 
"disinformation" harmful to national security.  While one RFI 
frequency has been shut down, the other five, including those in 
major population centers, continue to broadcast.  The action may be 
related to an ongoing feud with an RFI reporter who was expelled in 
2006 but who continues to file reports from outside the country.  An 
affront to freedom of the press, the action, however, does not 
impact the vast majority of the DRC's radio audience.  End summary. 
 
¶2.  (U) On May 5 Communications and Media Affairs Minister Lambert 
Mende sent a communique to Kinshasa media organizations announcing 
that the Government had shut down one of the six frequencies 
allocated to RFI, thereby preventing the population of Bunia, in the 
far-away Lake Albert district of Orientale province, from receiving 
broadcasts by the  French-government owned worldwide radio service. 
Mende claimed that the work of RFI reporter Ghislaine Dupont was 
disrupting the Goma peace process by pitting different communities 
against each other.  While claiming that the government is tolerant 
of criticism, Mende stressed that DRC authorities will nonetheless 
not compromise on issues of national security.  According to Mende's 
communique, the shutting down of this frequency was in response to 
previous efforts by the GDRC to convince RFI to "normalize" its 
coverage of DRC news stories. 
¶3.  (U) The same day the RFI frequency was shut down, 
non-governmental organization "Journalistes en Danger" (JED - 
Journalists in Danger) issued a statement asserting that the 
Government's decision would damage the DRC's image as a 
democratizing country.  JED Secretary-General Tshivis Tshivuadi said 
that the Government's claims do not justify its actions, noting that 
the DRC authorities give the impression that they only protect 
freedom of the press when coverage is favorable.  According to 
Tshivuadi, the government's action was a violation of the democratic 
values GRDC claims to support. 
¶4.  (SBU) Comment:  It is not clear who ordered the punitive action 
against RFI.  It may be related to the government's expulsion of 
Dupont in 2006 (reftel) over criticisms of the Kabila regime.  The 
combative RFI reporter created enemies at that time and many of them 
are not willing to let bygones be bygones.  Although the action is 
an affront to freedom of the press, its practical impact is not 
great.  Bunia, the capital of the outlying Ituri district is 1,150 
miles from Kinshasa while only 25 miles from the border with Uganda. 
 While the city boasts a population of slightly more than 100,000, 
most residents do not speak French and thus would not listen to RFI. 
 RFI audiences in the DRC's major population centers are not 
affected by the government's action.  Furthermore, reception of RFI 
broadcasts by the DRC's most important audience, listeners in the 
capital city of Kinshasa (with perhaps as many as 7 million 
inhabitants), cannot be disrupted without the concurrence of 
authorities in the neighboring Republic of the Congo.  We will 
provide updates and additional information as developments warrant. 
End comment. 
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