UNESCO Director-General condemns killing of Congolese journalist Witness-Patchelly Kambale Musonia
01-07-2011 (Paris)
UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova today condemned the murder of radio journalist Witness-Patchelly Kambale Musonia in the Nord-Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo on 22 June.
“I condemn the murder of Witness-Patchelly Kambale Musonia,” the Director-General said. “Such crimes affect society’s ability to enjoy the basic human right of freedom of expression. The death of a journalist in violent circumstances is an attempt to silence the all important voice of the press. I call on the Congolese authorities to investigate this killing and to bring those responsible to justice.”
Witness-Patchelly Kambale Musonia hosted a news show on the local Radio Lubero Sud. He was shot dead by unidentified individuals near his home at Kirumba. According to the Non-Governmental Organization “Journaliste en Danger” (JED) he had recently reported on the insecure climate in the city, fuelled by gangs of armed bandits.
Witness-Patchelly Kambale Musonia is the sixth journalist killed in East Congo since 2007.
Witness-Patchelly Kambale Musonia hosted a news show on the local Radio Lubero Sud. He was shot dead by unidentified individuals near his home at Kirumba. According to the Non-Governmental Organization “Journaliste en Danger” (JED) he had recently reported on the insecure climate in the city, fuelled by gangs of armed bandits.
Witness-Patchelly Kambale Musonia is the sixth journalist killed in East Congo since 2007.
UNESCO is the United Nations agency with a mandate to defend freedom of expression and press freedom. Article 1 of its Constitution requires the Organization to “further universal respect for justice, for the rule of law and for the human rights and fundamental freedoms which are affirmed for the peoples of the world, without distinction of race, sex, language or religion, by the Charter of the United Nations.” To realize this the Organization is requested to “collaborate in the work of advancing the mutual knowledge and understanding of peoples, through all means of mass communication and to that end recommend such international agreements as may be necessary to promote the free flow of ideas by word and image…”
Related themes/countries
· Democratic Republic of the Congo
· Press Freedom
· UNESCO Remembers Assassinated Journalists
· Media in Conflict and Post-Conflict Situations
· Weekly newsletter
Share this story:
Contact information
- UNESCO
Source