RSF Calls on Rebel Forces in Eastern DRC to End Journalist Abductions After Reporter Freed

December 31, 2025 – Congo –

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has issued a strong appeal to armed groups in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to halt the abduction of journalists following the release of a reporter who was held captive for three days in Bukavu, a city under the control of the Alliance Fleuve Congo/23 March Movement (AFC/M23) rebel coalition. The journalist, Honneur-David Safari, editor of La Prunelle RDC, was found “in poor condition” in a vacant lot near Nyantende in Kabare Territory on December 31 and was subsequently hospitalised after showing signs of torture, his lawyer reported. Safari had sent a distress message to his wife, also a journalist, just before his abduction on December 28.

RSF welcomed Safari’s release but condemned the violence inflicted on him and called for full transparency from the AFC/M23 regarding the circumstances of the abduction and assurances that similar attacks will not recur. The organisation emphasised that the incident highlights the pervasive dangers journalists face while performing their professional duties in eastern Congo, a region where conflict and lawlessness have steadily eroded press freedom. RSF’s Sub-Saharan Africa Bureau Director, Sadibou Marong, underscored that reporters must be able to work without fear of retaliation or violent reprisals by armed factions.

Local officials from the AFC/M23 have publicly denied holding Safari in their detention facilities, and they did not respond to RSF’s requests for comment. The rebel group seized Bukavu in early 2025 as part of an expanded offensive that has intensified insecurity across South Kivu and neighbouring North Kivu provinces. Independent reporting from the region has noted a pattern of threats, assaults, and restrictions on journalists linked to armed actors, including M23, with numerous incidents of newsroom attacks and forced closures recorded.

Journalists in eastern DRC operate under constant risk of abduction, harassment, and violence from multiple armed parties amid ongoing conflict. Press freedom advocates have documented more than 50 attacks on media workers in North Kivu alone over the past year, with community radio stations frequently targeted and reporters repeatedly displaced. These conditions contribute to a climate of fear that undermines independent reporting and the public’s access to information.

RSF’s appeal adds to broader calls from human rights and press freedom organisations urging all parties in the DRC conflict to respect journalists’ safety and guarantee that they can carry out their work without threat, detention, or violence. Such protections are vital to preserving the right to information for communities affected by protracted instability and armed conflict.

Reference – 

https://rsf.org/en/after-journalist-freed-eastern-drc-rsf-asks-rebels-ensure-no-more-reporters-are-abducted-areas-they