New York, US - The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on the authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to immediately rescind its decision to shut down the broadcasts of the French government-funded Radio France Internationale (RFI), over its coverage of the aftermath of the November 2011 presidential elections. 'This decision (shut down of RFI) is part of a pattern of closures to punish Radio France Internationale whenever it reports independently on political news in the DRC,' a CPJ statement obtained by PANA here Thursday quoted the committee's Africa Advocacy Coordinator, Mohamed Keita, as saying.

'We call on the Congolese media regulatory agency to break with this pattern of political censorship and reverse the decision immediately,' Keita said.

The New York-based CPJ quoted DRC's Communications Minister Lambert Mende as saying the Council of Ministers had ordered the 'temporary' measure of switching off RFI 's six FM broadcast frequencies until the Congolese Broadcasting and Communications Superior Council, the new state-run media regulatory agency, had issued a decision.

The run-up to the presidential elections saw anti-press violence, including arson attacks against journalists and media outlets supportive of opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi, according to CPJ research.

On 28 Nov., incumbent President Joseph Kabila defeated Tshisekedi although he took less than 50 percent of the votes in the election, which was marred by deadly violence and allegations of irregularities, news reports said.

Security forces cracked down on subsequent protests by pro-opposition supporters, but Tshisekedi declared himself president-elect and staged a swearing-in ceremony and a new year's national address, according to news reports.  RFI reported  on both of these events.

'The government did not at all appreciate the way RFI attempts to trivialize the anti-constitutional comedy of Tshikedi,' Mende was quoted as saying.

RFI is the most popular news station in the DRC, according to CPJ research.

Pana 05/01/2012