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December 2, 2024 – Congo –
The M23 rebel group raided the Mpety Community Radio Station (RCMP) in Walikale territory, North Kivu, in a brazen attack that highlighted the escalating dangers facing journalists in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. That evening, M23 fighters destroyed station equipment and abducted reporter and sports presenter Yoshua Kambere Machozi, whom they later murdered. His body was discovered on November 6 along a riverbank near Katobi, approximately four kilometers from Mpety.
Evidence from local witnesses and human rights observers suggests Machozi was “slit… with a knife” before his body was dumped in the Mweso River. The brutality of the act shocked the community and underscored its targeted nature: journalists are no longer just collateral victims—they are being specifically hunted. UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay condemned the killing, emphasizing the critical role of community media in crisis zones and the urgent need for an impartial probe into this atrocity.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) echoed these concerns. Africa programme head Angela Quintal decried the killing and looting as part of an alarming trend of violence against media outlets in the region. CPJ data reveals that journalist safety remains bleak, with both government and armed factions repeatedly targeting reporters.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) noted this murder pushes Africa’s journalist fatalities for 2024 to nine, lamenting the persistent impunity faced by perpetrators. Machozi’s death underscores the dangers of community media, deeply rooted in local contexts but exposed due to their critical coverage of conflict. Media-watch organizations have called on the DRC government to swiftly investigate, bring those responsible to justice, and enact protections for journalists facing similar threats.
This killing is set against the backdrop of a broader M23 campaign that has intensified across North Kivu since late 2024, including a major offensive on Goma in January 2025 that displaced hundreds of thousands. Media professionals working in such volatile environments now face direct targeting, digital intimidation, censorship, and the destruction of their equipment, raising concerns about freedom of information and humanitarian response in eastern DRC.
In sum, the brutal killing of Yoshua Kambere Machozi amid M23’s offensive is a stark reminder that journalism in eastern Congo has become a lethal vocation. The international community’s urgent demand is twofold: accountability for this egregious act and systemic protection for media voices under siege.
Reference –
https://cpj.org/2024/12/m23-rebels-attack-radio-station-journalist-killed-in-eastern-drc/
