Press Advocacy Group Urges End to Journalist Harassment in Eastern DRC

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September 10, 2025

📰 The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on both the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) government and rebel factions to cease targeting journalist Tuver Wundi, who has faced repeated detentions and dismissal from his post at a state broadcaster in Goma.

Angela Quintal, CPJ’s Africa program director, condemned Wundi’s treatment as “a blatant attempt to intimidate the press,” urging authorities and armed groups—including M23 rebels and the Congo River Alliance—to uphold media freedom.

Wundi, formerly a provincial director for a national media outlet and correspondent for Journaliste en Danger (JED), was first detained by M23 rebels on February 25 following their capture of Goma. After 11 days in custody, he was released but dismissed for refusing to broadcast rebel-aligned content. He was later accused of endangering state security and alleged collaboration with Kinshasa.

On August 27, Wundi was again detained—this time by the government’s National Intelligence Agency in Kinshasa. Held for four days without charge, he was released on September 5 with his belongings returned.

📉 Press freedom in the DRC continues to deteriorate. Between January 2024 and January 2025, over 50 attacks on journalists and media outlets were recorded in North Kivu alone. Twenty-six community radio stations were shut down, and dozens of journalists displaced—many for resisting rebel propaganda or reporting on human rights abuses.

The DRC’s ranking in the Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index dropped to 133 out of 180 countries, reflecting growing constraints on independent journalism.

⚠️ The resurgence of M23 violence has intensified risks for civilians and media workers. July 2025 marked the deadliest month since the group’s re-emergence in 2022, according to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Journalists face threats from both state and non-state actors, including arbitrary detention and forced disappearances.

The CPJ’s appeal underscores the urgent need for protections that allow journalists to report freely and safely amid escalating conflict.

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Excerpts from jurist.org article by Mahmoud Chahrour | U. Ottawa Faculty of Law, CA