Congo Journalists Under Fire: Media Freedom Dies in Eastern DRC War
The ink barely dried on the Washington Peace Accord under Trump's aegis before Congolese soil trembled again. Between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, promises of calm in the Great Lakes region evaporated against the brutal reality of renewed combat.
The AFC/M23 movement, claiming to defend the Tutsi minority but dancing to Kigali's rhythm according to UN experts, has multiplied offensives. Result: the fall of Uvira, that strategic South Kivu city controlling access to Bujumbura. A devastating blow to Congolese defense and their Burundian allies.
Accusations fly from all sides. Accord violations, ethnic tensions, precious mineral control—eastern Congo remains ground zero for competing appetites. No surprise the European Union sanctioned Gasabo's gold refinery and several Rwandan officials. EU sanctions cast shadows over Rwanda's booming mining sector.
The humanitarian toll remains horrific: thousands dead, over 5 million internally displaced, and nearly 1.5 million refugees scattered across the region.
Reporters in the Crosshairs
In this violence spiral, journalists pay the ultimate price. Journalist in Danger NGO sounds the alarm: never has the profession been more dangerous regionally. Over half the journalists killed in DRC over thirty years died in the eastern provinces.
Recent days saw two reporters lose their lives, perfectly illustrating the conflict's brutality. In Kiliba, ten kilometers from Uvira, Lwesho Janvier Nyakirigo of Radio Kiliba FM died in a bomb explosion attributed to M23 fighters. The International Contact Group for the Great Lakes, gathering Western chancelleries, denounces kamikaze drone usage blindly targeting civilians.
Further north in Goma, Magloire Paluku, Kivu1 FM owner and emblematic AFC-M23 figure, was gunned down outside his home. Hours before his death, an audio recording revealed his harsh criticism of the rebellion, betraying internal tensions undermining the movement.
Audio source published by Byobe Makenga: Facebook Recording
As the region sinks deeper into violence, the media ecosystem falters. Between stray bullets and censorship, information struggles to circulate, worrying observers who see this as an additional threat to Congolese democracy.
The strategic implications extend beyond Congo's borders. This media blackout serves those who profit from chaos while undermining international efforts to stabilize the Great Lakes region. When journalists cannot safely report, accountability dies with them.