**This alert contains new cases and updates IFEX alerts noted below**
In separate case, on 20 February, copies of that day's edition of the
private newspaper "Le Soft", arriving from Belgium for sale in the
Democratic Republic of Congo, were seized at the airport in Kinshasa.
Authorities announced that they had burned the edition, which contained the
front- page headline "Tshisekedi, eternally persecuted", accompanied by a
1997 photo showing Etienne Tshisekedi surrounded by a crowd and a pro-Mobutu
army officer.
In separate cases, Bonsange Yema, editor-in-chief of the newspaper
"L'Alarme", remains in detention since his arrest on 7 February (see IFEX
alert dated 12 February 1998). Mossi Mwassi, correspondent of the Swahili
language services of the international broadcasters British Broadcasting
Corporation and Deutsche Welle in the Democratic Republic of Congo, also
remains in detention since his arrest on 3 December 1997 (see IFEX alert
dated 17 December 1997).
RSF notes that Zaire has ratified the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
article 19 of which guarantees the freedom to receive and impart
information
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities:
appealing to them to respect their international obligations and ensure
they are respected by others
urging them to do everything possible to obtain the release of the three
detained journalists, Modeste Mutinga, Bonsange Yema and Mossi Mwassi
Appeals To
Laurent-Desire Kabila
President of the Democratic Republic of Congo
c/o the diplomatic representative of the Democratic Republic of Congo in
your country
(in France)
Embassy of the Democratic Republic of Congo
Fax: +33 1 42 89 80 09
(in Canada)
Embassy of the Democratic Republic of Congo
18 Range Road
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada K1N 8J3
Fax: +1 613 747 9152
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.