Congo neighbours in media control plot
The incumbent president, Denis Sassou Nguesso. Two media regulation bodies recalled that in the late 1990s he used TKM television, a company based in Kinshasa, for his political campaign to oust Prof Pascal Lissouba. Photo/FILE
KINSHASA, Thursday
The media regulation bodies of the Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa) and the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville) have signed an agreement on the control of political propaganda programmes.
The agencies signed a commitment not to allow any of their media to advertise political propaganda programmes from either of their countries’ for any politicians. The signing ceremony took place last Saturday in Kinshasa.
Electoral period
The commitment, they said, was found necessary in order to prevent political opponents in Congo Brazzaville from exploiting the huge media machinery from Kinshasa’s side of the River Congo during the current electoral period.
Kinshasa has about 50 television and radio companies broadcasting 24 hours in the two cities. Kinshasa and Brazzaville are essentially the same city, separated or linked by the River Congo.
Congo Brazzaville citizens are currently involved in a presidential electoral process, whose campaigns officially start on Friday. The campaigns end on July 10.
Brazzaville officials fear that Kinshasa’s powerful and numerous media can be used by its politicians to negatively influence the electoral process.
The incumbent
The two media regulation bodies recalled that in the late 1990s, Mr Denis Sassou Nguesso, the incumbent president who is himself contesting the election with 12 other competitors, used TKM television, a company based in Kinshasa, for his political campaign to oust Prof Pascal Lissouba.
“We don’t like such a disloyal strategy to recur during the ongoing electoral process”, Mr Jacques Banangadzala, the chair of the High Council of the Communication Freedom, the media regulation of Congo Brazzaville told reporters.
