Obtain an original of the newspaper Le Phare, No. 1971, dated Wednesday, 27 November 2002; information on its political orientation [RDC41580.E]

During a 27 May 2003 telephone interview, the Secretary General of the Kinshasa-based Journalist en Danger (JED), a non-governmental organization which defends and promotes freedom of the press in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), stated that, to his knowledge, [translation] "the editorial line of the newspaper Le Phare is close to the opposition [political parties]" (JED 27 May 2003). Furthermore, according to Hilaire Mbiye Lumbala, a communications professor at the Catholic Faculty of Kinshasa, the editorial line of Le Phare was close to the opposition under Mobutu Sese Seko and Laurent-Désiré Kabila (Media Resistance n.d.).

On the 15 and 16 of November 2000, the national Congolese television station (Radiotélévision nationale congolaise, RTNC) qualified the Le Phare newspaper as an [translation] "enemy of the Congolese people" because of its editorial stance (JED 17 Nov. 2000). Furthermore, it stated that [translation] "[l]e Phare has only one alternative: support the government of [the] public in its national reconstruction policy, or join the ranks of the enemies of the people" (ibid.). According to JED, it is public knowledge that the editorials of the RTNC reflect the opinion of the Kinshasa government (ibid.).

During a 27 May 2003 telephone conversation, the editor of Le Phare agreed to send a copy of the 27 November 2002 edition, No. 1971, to the Immigration and Refugee Board. However, the Research Directorate did not receive this edition within the time constraints of this Response.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References


Journaliste en danger (JED), Kinshasa. 27 May 2003. Telephone interview with the Secretary General.

_____. 17 November 2000. "Dans un éditorial de la télévision d'État, Le Phare est qualifié d'ennemi du peuple." http://www.jed-congo.org/Communiques/2000/1711.htm [Accessed 29 May 2003]

Media Resistance. n.d. Hilaire Mbiye Lumbala. "La caricature politique et sociale dans la presse congolaise." http://www.mediaresistance.org/archives/afrique/caricatu.html [Accessed 29 May 2003]

Le Phare, Kinshasa. 27 May 2003. Telephone interview with the editor.

Additionnal sources consulted


IRB Databases

NEXIS

Internet sites:

Allafrica.com

Bilbio Monde

Digitalcongo.net

Inter Press Service News Agency

Le Phare

Politique Africaine

Reporters Without Borders

WNC

Search engines:

Copernic

Google

Associated documents