]RFI back on the air in DR Congo after 15 month break
On 12 October 2010, Journaliste en Danger (JED) welcomed the return of Radio France International (RFI) on FM in the Democratic Republic of Congo. RFI’s signal was shut down nationwide on orders of the Congolese government on 26 July 2009. The government accused RFI of “initiating a campaign to demoralise the Armed Forces of the DRC.”
JED has welcomed this positive development and urges the Congolese authorities to refrain from any future attempts to control the free flow of information. As the most popular radio station in the country, the shutdown of RFI’s signal deprived millions of listeners of information, which JED highlighted in its February 2010 petition campaign entitled “Release the info, reopen RFI”.
In June, a delegation from RFI announced in Kinshasa the opening of a local office with the appointment of an expatriate journalist, and the finalisation of discussions with the Congolese government regarding the restoration of RFI’s signal. According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), the Congolese authorities have made no formal announcement as concerns the restoration of the signal.
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