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Mass media in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are both nationally and internationally state owned and operated.
While the constitution provides for freedom of speech and the press, the government has restricted this right in practise. Arrests, murders and other harassment of journalists is frequently reported.
In 2009, the freedom of the press global ranking released each year by Reporters Without Borders ranked the Democratic Republic of the Congo at 146 out of 175 countries. [1] [2]
There are several organizations monitoring freedom of the press in the Democratic Republic of the Congo:
Many journalists in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are subjected to the practise of coupage (in English: cutting), where journalists are paid to write articles on behalf of persons who are the article's actual subject. [3] [4] Press independence remains stifled. There are two significant impacts from this practise:
Major newspapers are only nominally privately owned. Journalists must be members of the state-controlled union to practise their profession. The press today is firmly under MPR control. The largest dailies were Elima, Courrier d’Afrique, and Salongo (fr) (10,000).
The majority of print press publications are in French, an official language of the country. Despite their ambitions of national news coverage, it is difficult for these publications to attain broad coverage, both due to challenges in gathering information, and in physically distributing the publications. Many journalists are therefore tied to a city or a region, essentially Kinshasa.
Several daily newspapers are published, of which the majority have a pro-government bias. Some newspapers are published irregularly.
| Name | Circulation |
|---|---|
| Alerte Plus | ? |
| L'Avenir (RDC) | 3,000 |
| Demain le Congo | ? |
| Elima (RDC) [5] | 1,000 |
| L'Éveil (RDC) | 1,000 |
| Forum des As | ? |
| Le Messager Africain | ? |
| L'Observateur | ? |
| Le Palmarès (RDC) | 1,000 |
| Le Phare (RDC) [5] | 2,500 |
| Le Potentiel [5] | 2,500 |
| La Prospérité | ? |
| La Référence Plus (RDC) | 5,000 |
| La République (Congo-Kinshasa) | ? |
| Le Soft international | ? |
| La Tempête des tropiques | ? |
| UHURU | 550 |
| Journal Congopress | ? |
| Name | Circulation |
|---|---|
| La Cité africaine (RDC) | 1,000 |
| La Manchette | ? |
| Le Climat Tempéré (RDC) | 1,200 |
| Le Révélateur | 1,000 |
| Salongo | 1,000 |
| Journal Congopress | 1,000 |
| Name | Circulation |
|---|---|
| L’Alerte | ? |
| Le Collimateur | ? |
| La Conscience | ? |
| L'Éveil (RDC) | ? |
| La Flamme du Congo | ? |
| La Libre Afrique | ? |
| Kin Telegraph | ? |
| Mukuba | ? |
| Le Peuple | ? |
| Umoja | ? |
The postal, telephone, and telegraph services are owned and operated by the government. In 2002 there were an estimated 10,000 mainline phones in use nationwide. In 2003 there were an estimated 19 cell phones in use for every 1,000 people. State-controlled radio and television transmissions, operated under Radio-Television Nationale Congolaise (RTNC), are the prominent broadcasting stations, reaching the largest number of citizens. The RTNC radio broadcast of La Voix du Congo, is available in French, Swahili, Lingala, Tshiluba, and Kikongo. There are also many privately run broadcasting stations. In 2001, there were 3 AM and 11 FM radio stations and 4 television stations. In 2003, there were an estimated 385 radios and 2 television sets for every 1,000 people.
Since 1990 many television stations have been broadcasting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 2006, 58 television channels were available. Of these, 38 are in Kinshasa. [6]
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has many radio stations, the majority of which are based in Kinshasa. The transitional Constitution installed an entity called Haute autorité des Medias (HAM), which oversees media activity, including radio broadcasting.
It is estimated that 60% of broadcasts are in the four national languages: (Kikongo, Lingala, Swahili, Tshiluba). The rest are in French and, rarely, in English. [7]
Ground transport in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has always been difficult. The terrain and climate of the Congo Basin present serious barriers to road and rail construction, and the distances are enormous across this vast country. Furthermore, chronic economic mismanagement and internal conflict has led to serious under-investment over many years.
Matadi is the chief sea port of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the capital of the Kongo Central province, adjacent to the border with Angola. It had a population of 245,862 (2004). Matadi is situated on the left bank of the Congo River, 148 km (92 mi) from the mouth and 8 km (5.0 mi) below the last navigable point before the rapids that make the river impassable for a long stretch upriver.
The Pool Malebo, formerly Stanley Pool, also known as Mpumbu, Lake Nkunda or Lake Nkuna by local indigenous people in pre-colonial times, is a lake-like widening in the lower reaches of the Congo River. The river serves as the border between the Republic of the Congo to the north and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the south.
Kongo Central, formerly Bas-Congo is one of the 26 provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its capital is Matadi.
Mbanza-Ngungu, formerly known as Thysville or Thysstad, named after Albert Thys, is a city and territory in Kongo Central Province in the western part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, lying on a short branch off the Matadi-Kinshasa Railway. It has a population of nearly 100,000 people.
Gombe, also known as La Gombe, is a municipality (commune) located in the Lukunga District of Kinshasa, which serves as the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Formerly referred to as Kalina, the name originated from Lieutenant E. Kallina, an Austro-Hungarian soldier who volunteered in the Independent State of the Congo. Encompassing a vast area of approximately 29.33 square kilometers, it is home to an approximate population of 49,024 residents.
The Matadi–Kinshasa Railway is a railway line in Kongo Central province between Kinshasa, the capital of Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the port of Matadi.
The Société commerciale des transports et des ports, prior to 2011 known as the Office national des transports, or ONATRA, is a publicly owned company based in Kinshasa which operates railways, ports, and river transport in the north and west of the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the Congo River. It is the continuation of the Office of Colonial Transport founded in 1935 and has subsequently existed under other names.
Articles related to the Democratic Republic of the Congo include:
The National Assembly is the lower house and main legislative political body of the Parliament of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is one of the two legislative bodies along with the Senate. The National Assembly is composed of deputies who are elected by the citizens of the DRC. The deputies serve as the voice of the people and are responsible for enacting legislation, representing their constituents' interests, and overseeing the executive branch of government. The National Assembly is responsible for deliberating and passing laws that impact the nation and its citizens. It was established by the 2006 constitution, which provided for a bicameral parliament consisting of the National Assembly and the Senate. It is located at the People's Palace in Kinshasa.
Bundu dia Kongo, known as BDK, is a new religious movement with a political and cultural agenda that is associated with the Kongo ethnic group. It was founded in June 1969 but officially in 1986 by Ne Muanda Nsemi, who is the group's current leader, and is mainly based in the Kongo Central (Bas-Congo) province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The Coupe du Congo is the top knockout tournament of the Congolese football. It was created in 1961.
Radio Okapi is a radio network that operates in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. On an annual budget of USD$4.5 million, a staff of 200 provide news and information to the entire urban population of the DRC. Radio Okapi provides programming in French and in the four national languages of Congo: Lingala, Kituba, Swahili and Tshiluba,
The Republican Guard of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, formerly known as the Special Presidential Security Group, is maintained by President Félix Tshisekedi. Military of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) military officials state that the Garde Républicaine is not the responsibility of FARDC, but the Head of State. Apart from Article 140 of the Law on the Army and Defence, no legal stipulation on the DRC's Armed Forces makes provision for the GR as a distinct unit within the national army. In February 2005, President Joseph Kabila passed a decree which appointed the GR's commanding officer and 'repealed any previous provisions contrary' to that decree. The GR is more than 10,000 strong, and formerly consisted of three brigades, the 10th, at Kinshasa, the 15th, and the 16th, at Lubumbashi. It has better working conditions and is paid regularly, but still commits numerous crimes near their bases, including against United Nations officials.
Trust Merchant Bank or TMB, is a commercial bank based in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with its headquarters located in Lubumbashi. The bank began operations in 2004. TMB operates in all sectors of the local banking market, including in retail banking, SME banking, corporate banking, and mobile banking.
Paul Joseph Mukungubila Mutombo is a Congolese religious and political figure. He is the leader of the "Church of the Lord Jesus Christ", established in Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, Kolwezi, Kalemie, Brussels, Paris and Washington DC area. He declared himself "prophet of the Lord" for "the Ministry of Restoration from Sub-Saharan Africa".
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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