DR Congo protest ‘censorship’ during Afcon semi-final

In Kinshasa

Democratic Republic of Congo is protesting alleged censorship in the footage aired by rights holders during their Africa Cup of Nations semi-final match against Cote d’Ivoire on Wednesday night.

And the government spokesman Patrick Muyaya on Friday night threatened to withdraw the country from participating in Confederation of African Football (Caf) events until clarification is given on why protests against the war in eastern Congo were not televised to viewers during the match.

The DRC are due to play South Africa for the third spot on Saturday night and although the Leopards, as the Congolese national team is known, indicated they will honour the match, Kinshasa said it could boycott other events.

“To react to this outrageous attitude, our national team will no longer be associated, until further notice, with any solidarity activity or initiative carried out by Caf,” Muyaya said.

Kinshasa’s political leaders have been pushing for what they call ‘dismantling of the lying campaigns and other manipulations’ by the country’s enemies on the war in eastern DRC, where government forces, FARDC, are battling M23 rebels which the Congolese government blames for getting sponsorship from Rwanda. 

“Every Congolese, wherever they are, has the duty to respond to the call for the defence of the homeland,” Muyaya said.

After the match on Wednesday night, a shop of the main TV distributor for Canal+ pay-per-view cable TV was vandalised. The Congolese accused Canal + of censoring footage of Congolese supporters during the semi-final match against Côte d'Ivoire.

On that day, the Congolese supporters were carrying banners denouncing “the genocide underway" in the DRC (in reference to the war in Kivu and its many deaths) "which is being ignored."

Although the distributor Canal+ explained that it was only a broadcaster that received footage from the organisers, Caf, the Congolese anger did not abate.

Later, the Council of Ministers met with President Félix Tshisekedi and decided that the DRC team will not take part, until further notice, in the solidarity initiatives organised by Caf. 

The DRC has also issued a stern warning to the French television channel France 24.
On Friday in Kinshasa, demonstrators protested outside the French embassy in DRC.

There have also been strong protests outside the US embassy in Kinshasa.

Caf did not immediately respond to the allegations but as a member of the world football governing body Fifa, it subscribes to the tradition where political messaging is often avoided. Players sending out such messages are often booked.

However, gradually, Fifa has been accepting certain messages such as the campaign against racism or condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.