It has to be noted clearly that, because of the intervention
of Maurice Nguesso, DRTV is alive and broadcasting today in the Republic of
Congo. But the editorial line of DRTV is not very different from that of the
state owned broadcaster, Tele Congo. Although the editorial line of DRTV is not
different from that of the national broadcaster, it has not prevented DRTV from
being a target of state brutality or intimidation from the police. For the
government of Denis Sassou Nguesso doesn’t entertain any form of dissent. All
Denis Sassou Nguesso and those around him like or enjoy are praises. Hence,
they spend FCFA billion on public relations firms and also finance newspapers
or electronic media around the continent and in Europe, in particular in France,
for their promotion. Denis Sassou Nguesso is a paradoxically man who loves prominence
but loathes all forms of contradictions. For example, he doesn’t like free speech
and detest real democracy. He doesn’t support local media and doesn’t like competent
independent Congolese journalists, but yet he has partly financed Africanews,
which is a subsidiary of the pan European TV, Euronews.
Denis Sassou Nguesso has done everything for the pan European
TV to be based in Congo, not because he likes their professionalism, but,
simply because it will give him a good press in Europe. Nevertheless, the day
Africanews focuses on how he runs Congo, their friendship will end. Perhaps the
secret contract between Denis Sassou Nguesso and Euronews is that, they should
not nose into the internal affairs of Congo or focus on showering praise on
Denis Sassou Nguesso. Some people think
that Denis Sassou Nguesso is almost always influenced negatively by those
around him. But the fact that Africanews has been given authorization to
operates against the will of the security
and intelligence services of Congo is one big prove that, Denis Sassou
Nguesso does only what he thinks is good for him. For Colonel Thomas Bakala
Mayinda, the head of the Congolese intelligence service told me that, they were
against the installation of Africanews in Congo and that, if it came, it was
because of Claudia Sassou Nguesso. But Claudia Sassou Nguesso, the widow of
late Mr Lemboumba can’t act without the support or approval of her father.
Once, Paul Soni-BENGA, the Director of DRTV and host
of a TV programme called “Sans Detour” presented a programme that talked or
focused on the rise of insecurity in Brazzaville. Immediately the said programme was over, the
following day, he (Paul Soni-BENGA) was convocated at the Police Headquarters
by General Jean François NDENGUET. Paul Soni-BENGA was not only interrogated brutally,
he was threatened by General Jean François NDENGEUT, who promised to kill him
and nothing will happen to him (General Jean François NDENGUET). General Jean
François NDENGUET could threaten to kill Paul Soni-Benga as he did and nothing
will happen to him because it is normal in Congo under Denis Sassou Nguesso for
journalists to be threatened at best. But the truth is that, the assassination of
journalists in Congo by the security forces is not an alien thing. It has
always happened, even though not regularly. However, what are common in Congo
are threats to journalists or suspension and outright banning of media houses,
especially newspapers that don’t praise, promote or defend either the
government or members of the ruling family and in chief, the President of the
Republic or Jean Dominique Okemba.
The well known case of assassination of a journalist
in Congo is that of Bruno Jacquet Ossebi of Franco-Congolese nationality. He was
killed in an atrocious manner by the security forces on the 2nd of
February 2009 because of his investigative reporting. Bruno Ossebi’s assassins
have never been found nor prosecuted. Bruno Jacquet Ossebi who was born on the
10th of December 1964 in France and to kill him, he was locked up in
his home, fuel poured around his home and then it was set ablaze. He was burnt
alive in his home where his two children died from burns. But he did not die
immediately. He sustained serious burns. He was taken to the Brazzaville Pierre Mobengo
military hospital. However, instead of being given medical attention, he was
killed. People who do not know Congolese governing elite will not believe that,
the well mannered and sugar coated speeches will able to carry out atrocious
acts as they have done on Ossebi and others. For the governing elite in Congo area
refined lot. They seldom speak English but they almost all, speak fluent French
and want to behave like French politicians. But it is just a coat of paint. In
reality, they (elite in Congo) are a people who have bestial behaviors. They
don’t entertain contradictions.
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