DRC officials condemn brutal beating of journalist by police

By Godfrey Olukya

KAMPALA, Uganda (AA) - Officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo condemned the brutal beating and arrest Wednesday of journalist Patient Ligodi during a protest in the capital Kinshasa against alleged election meddling.

Ligodi, a correspondent for Radio France International (RFI), was interviewing opposition leader Martin Fayulu, who called the protest march by the LAMUKA coalition, when he was thrown to the ground by police and struck by the officers. He was then briefly detained.

Government spokesman Patrick Muyaya and the governor of Kinshasa, Gentiny Ngobila Mbaka, condemned the violence suffered by Ligodi.

The LAMUKA coalition is led by Fayulu and former Prime Minister Adolphe Muzito. It demands the removal of politics from the Independent National Electoral Commission.

UN radio in the Democratic Republic Congo said Muyaya has protested to the General Commissioner of Police asking that an investigation be carried out immediately.

“It is unbelievable. I strongly condemn the violence against the journalist Patient Ligodi. It is good that the police officer responsible for this blunder has already been found and arrested,” said Ngobila Mbaka.

A security officer in Kinshasa, Lieut. Peter Salongo, said they received information that Ligodi was brutally arrested and harassed by police during the march organized by LAMUKA.

Salongo said a video of his arrest went viral and sparked outrage in the country. Several media organizations including the DRC's online media association and Congolese correspondents of the international press have also condemned the police for harassing their colleague.

Just as those who turned up for the protest started to march, police used tear gas and batons to disperse them. Police said it stopped the march because the organizers had not gotten permission from the authorities as required by law.