By Jerry Nguwa

Bugesera, July 28, 2009

Today, Congolese people accustomed to be updated by the French international Brodcaster, RFI woke up to a shock since they could not get any signal from the usual frequencies.

This is because the Radio has been banned within the Democratic Republic of Congo boundaries. Their transmitters were taken off air. Talking to a section of media professionals the very active Congolese Minister of Information and government spokesman, Lambert Mende attributed the closure to the non respect of national laws by the broadcaster.

Hapamedia quoted the minister as saying that RFI has been broadcasting contents that are not favourable to the unity of the country especially in the Eastern region. This is not the first time that government complains about the broadcaster but it is the first time it's shut down nationally.

The move is seen as a cover up for all kinds of vices that are happening in the country. In the course of this week alone, the country has been on the spot for environment unfriendly logging and manual exploitation of high radioactive Uranium by innocents locals for foreign companies.

In order to keep the tomfoolery within the borders, the government has given itself in a campaign of shutting down unfriendly media houses. A top human rights activist, ASADHO's Golden Misabiko is being held in Lubumbashi for no apparent reason.

From France , the Radio France public relations representative has denied all allegations by the President's Kabila government. They stress that daily happenings in their possessions have always been reported accurately.

The last time RFI was shut like this was by order of the late Mzee Laurent Desiré Kabila in 1998.
HAPAMEDIA