Sunday, January 31, 2016

Denis Sassou Nguesso: a paradoxical man who loves prominence

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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