Director-General condemns murder of broadcaster Papy Mahamba Mumbere in DRC

The Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, has condemned the brutal killing of community radio journalist Papy Mahamba Mumbere in the village of Lwemba in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, on 2 November, the date designated by the United Nations as International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists.

“I condemn the brutal attack on Papy Mahamba Mumbere” said the Director-General. “I call on the authorities to investigate this crime and bring its perpetrators to justice. The killing of a community radio journalist because of his commitment to providing public service information on a deadly disease is a tragic illustration of the cost to society that violence against the media represents.”

Papy Mahamba Mumbere, a radio journalist with Lwemba Community Radio, had just presented a public information programme on Ebola when a group of armed attackers entered his home and assaulted him with knives and machetes. The attackers also injured the journalist’s wife before setting fire to their house. 

UNESCO promotes the safety of journalists through global awareness-raising, capacity building and a range of actions, notably in the framework of the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity.

See also: UNESCO observatory of killed journalists

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Media contact: Sylvie Coudray, s.coudray@unesco.org, +33 (0)1 45 68 08 91