Catholic Journalist killed in DR Congo, possibly for just $5

YAOUNDÉ, Cameroon – A Congolese journalist and coordinator of Radio Maria – a Catholic radio station found in the war-ravaged eastern town of Goma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo – has been killed.

Edmond Bahle Monja was shot point blank in Ndosho, a district of Goma. He was returning from work when he was killed.

His sister, Irene Semakuba told journalists that when she learned that his brother had been murdered, she didn’t believe it.

“I had the courage to rush to the spot where his body was lying. It was all over for him,” she said.

A statement from Radio Maria said three people have been arrested in connection with the killing.

“Among [the three people arrested] were two alleged perpetrators of the despicable murder of our colleague. When they were arrested, they said they had only received $5 to carry out their dirty work,” the statement said.

The killing has triggered lots of reactions across the country. Officials at Radio Maria said they were saddened and filled with anguish following the “cowardly murder” of their coordinator.

“Although several media outlets wrote about the incident, sadness and anguish prevented us from expressing ourselves,” the release states.

Timothée Bigombire, a volunteer journalist with Radio Maria/Goma, condemned “this despicable act.”

“This blind violence cannot be tolerated. To take the life of an innocent person is to trample on human dignity and the values of our society. Those who committed this act not only killed a loved one but also plunged the entire community into despair. We must denounce this act and work for a world where peace and justice reign, so that such acts never happen again,” he said.

Rosalie Zawadi, the president of the country’s journalist’s trade union, L’Union Nationale de la Press du Congo (UNPC), issued a strong statement calling for investigations to determine the authors of the murder and the motivations behind it.

“Insecurity is now affecting the media profession in Goma. The perpetrators of this crime must answer for their actions before the courts,” she said in a statement obtained by Crux.

Reporters Sans Frontiers condemned the killing in a tweet, calling on the authorities to “pursue the investigation seriously and bring those responsible to justice.”

Philippe Birego, a journalist working with Radio Maria, said journalists in eastern Congo now live in perpetual fear.

“We live today like rats, hiding in holes. We can’t move freely and that has an impact on our work as journalists,” he told TV5-Monde.

The population is demanding that the authorities impose a state of emergency in the state and take all measures to protect the population, already battered by the wars and persistent insecurity in the town of Goma.

Noting that “to kill a journalist is to kill information,” the representative of the non-profit organization, Journalists en Danger (Journalists in Danger) said journalists in the DRC have been receiving threatening telephone calls and SMS messages from militant groups and well-known political figures.

Media reports say ten journalists have been killed in the eastern province of North Kivu in the past two years.

The arrests

On Monday, September 30, 35 people were arrested in the wake of the killing, including the alleged killers of the Radio Maria coordinator as well as hemp smokers and other drug users. The military also seized 20 bags of hemp, according to local media.

The suspects were presented to the Mayor of Goma on September 30.

“Mr. Mayor, we present you with the results of the investigation carried out by the intelligence service of the 34th military region immediately after the murder of the Radio Maria journalist. Our elements have found the perpetrators of this murder, including the author and co-author who appear before you,” said Lieutenant Colonel Guillaume Ndjike Kaiko, spokesman for the FARDC in North Kivu.

One of the alleged perpetrators of the crime then told the press that he received $5 as payment for the journalists’ murder.

Immediately presented to the press by the mayor of Goma was co-perpetrator Dieume Bauma.

“I was at home when Mr. Elisha Emedy, alias Mamadou, the perpetrator of the crime, called me and gave me 5 American dollars to pay for the journalist’s execution, following a dispute of which I am unaware,” said Bauma.

“Mr. Elisha Hemedi alias Mamadou (the murderer) shot the journalist twice in the chest at point-blank range,” he added.

Mayor Kapend Kamand Faustin said the full weight of the law will be brought to bear on the perpetrators of the killings, and their sponsors.

“We will never abandon our people,” the mayor declared.

Eastern Congo has become a frontline for violent conflict, with around 120 armed groups fighting for the control of territory and its natural resources.

The Deputy Secretary General of the country’s Bishops’ Conference, Father George Kalenga Masuka told Crux that while there are internal forces involved in the fighting, there is no doubt that the involvement of neighboring countries has made the situation worse.

“Among the neighboring countries of the DR Congo, some play a significant role in perpetuating violence and massacres,” he said.

“They provide support bases for armed groups that repeatedly cause devastation in various regions of the DR Congo, particularly in the eastern part, from Ituri Province to Tanganyika Province, including North and South Kivu,” he added.