DR Congo media curbs risk conflict coverage, RSF says

Reporters Without Borders criticised new media restrictions in the Democratic Republic of Congo on October 23, warning that they could threaten independent reporting on conflict in the country's east.

The media regulator this week ordered journalists and broadcasters not to give a platform to representatives of the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation, or FRN, a movement led by former president Joseph Kabila. It also banned coverage of representatives of political parties suspended by authorities and warned that violations could lead to sanctions.

Jeanne Lagarde, from RSF's Sub-Saharan Africa bureau, said the regulator was threatening sanctions under the pretext of combating war propaganda. She said the restrictions were disproportionate and vaguely worded, and urged authorities to uphold journalists' right to report independently on the conflict.

The FRN was launched by Kabila and includes the M23 armed group and its political wing AFC. The M23 has seized large areas of eastern DR Congo since late 2021, including Goma last year. Kinshasa accuses neighbouring Rwanda of backing the group.

RSF said pressure on media had intensified since rebels captured Goma in January 2025, with several international outlets summoned or criticised over their coverage. The organisation ranks DR Congo 130th out of 180 countries on its global press freedom index.

The National Union of the Congolese Press said around 90 reporters were forced to flee North and South Kivu provinces between 2023 and early 2025. Journalists in rebel-held areas have also faced threats and violence.