The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has revoked the accreditation of Al Jazeera journalists following the broadcast of an interview with the leader of an armed group opposing the government, according to a document obtained by AFP on Friday.
Patrick Muyaya, the DRC’s Communication Minister, informed Al Jazeera’s management in Qatar via email on Thursday that all reporting authorisations for the broadcaster’s journalists in the country were being withdrawn.
The decision follows Al Jazeera’s airing of an interview with Bertrand Bisinwa, the commander of the M23 armed group. M23, widely regarded as being backed by Rwanda, has been actively capturing territory in the eastern DRC and clashing with government forces.
In a press briefing on Thursday, Muyaya accused the network of granting a platform to the leader of what he described as a “terrorist movement.” He further claimed the interview was conducted not by a journalist but by an unaccredited activist with pro-Rwandan sympathies.
The move highlights tensions surrounding media coverage of the ongoing conflict in the DRC’s volatile eastern regions, where M23’s activities continue to destabilise the area.
