February 6, 2024
On the video images received by JED and widespread on social medias, we can see the provincial director of national radio and television, in Mbandaka in the Province of Equateur, Mimi Etaka, sitting on the ground, showing off her torn clothes and his overturned office furniture which bears witness to the violence of the attack. She accuses the provincial governor, Bobo Boloko Bolumbu, of having burst into her office and ordering her bodyguard to beat her for refusing to broadcast orders signed by the governor, which is denied by Mimi Etaka, who explains that she instead asked the Governor’s Spokesperson to wait for the end of the broadcast of the newspaper which was in progress.
For JED, this governor, who is not at his first crime, is known for being one of the worst executioners of the press, who regularly threatens and arrests journalists in his province.
This attack on the installations of a public media outlet further strengthens the image of a State where it imposes its law of the jungle, seeking to take control of medias.
Recently a candidate in the elections, he was accused of fraud and was invalidated by the Electoral Commission (CENI), then suspended before being rehabilitated in his functions as governor where he now faces a revolt from a group of his ministers .
Journalist in Danger (JED) vigorously condemns this umpteenth attack against the press, and urges the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, who has supervision over provincial governors, to take immediate action to suspend this indelicate official and to open an investigation to find out the motives behind that serious incident which tarnishes more the image of our Republic.
