Congo DRC
As we speak a humanitarian crisis of great magnitude is happening in Eastern-Congo. A record of nearly 7 million people are displaced in the country, and everyday innocent people are killed, of which many children, and thousands of women and girls endure sexual violence. For the last three decades Eastern-Congo has struggled with complicated internal conflicts, and the world seems to have a hard time understanding it. In 2024, Congo ranked 123rd in the RSF Press Freedom Index.
For this, reliable reporting is vital. Unfortunately, media struggle to do their work. It is extremely dangerous to report on the different conflicts because of the constant fighting between numerous parties, and the lack of humanitarian aid leaving the people deprived of their basic needs like water and food, not to mention access to the internet to record, transfer, and receive information. Besides this, reporting objectively is very difficult, and being critical of any of the fighting parties can make you a target.
But people need to know what is happening, and still there are journalists who stay and take the risks for the sake of bringing the truth out there. Even though the world hardly listens, or comes into action. But if it is not for the world, it is for the people who are on the run and need to know where it is safe(r) to go, where there is access to food or water, and where IDP (Internally Displaced People) camps are. For them access to information can be a matter of life and death.
Safety of women journalists
In addition to limited press freedom, the safety of women journalists continues to be a major concern. They are targeted for their profession and discriminated against on the basis of their gender, resulting in online harassment and gender-based violence. However, the adoption of new legislation to replace the 1996 law criminalising press offenses, and the creation of a mechanism for protecting and safeguarding journalists, seem to be essential first steps in creating a better environment for media and in promoting gender equality in media.
Our work in Congo DRC
Within such a fragile and politically volatile context, the media, alongside civil society organisations, are indispensable to achieve a turning point. Therefore, Free Press Unlimited together with local partners is running a project to guarantee that the Congolese population in Northeastern Congo get access to trustworthy and relevant information offered by independent media outlets during the State of Siege, and to establish that journalists can do their work without fear and intimidation. The project focuses on several aspects: debunking fake news, monitoring press freedom violations and maintaining access to reliable information under a State of Siege.
Because radio is still the most important medium in rural areas specifically but in cities as well, the project focuses strongly on community radio in North Kivu and Ituri, especially those stations that are located close or even in red zones where armed groups are active.
