Photo of the week: a Burundian journalist arrested in Mulongwe, suspected of links with the Red-Tabara group

SOS Médias Burundi

Burundian journalist Gérardine Ingabire, a refugee in the Democratic Republic of Congo and an employee of the community radio station Amani FM in Malindi, was arrested on Tuesday, April 16, around 2 p.m. by agents of the National Commission for Refugees (CNR). She is currently detained at the Mulongwe police station in Fizi territory, South Kivu province, eastern Congo.

According to several witnesses, Ms. Ingabire was arrested while on her way to work. Rumors circulating in her neighborhood accuse her of collaborating with the Burundian rebel group Red Tabara, notably by facilitating meetings and harboring members of the movement. At this stage, these accusations have not been confirmed by official sources.

The Red Tabara group, active in eastern DRC and accused of several attacks in Burundi, is considered a terrorist movement by both Burundian and Congolese authorities.

When contacted, the CNR declined to comment on the case. On the civil society side, only a few local women’s organizations working in the media in Fizi were informed of the arrest.

In a statement, the Amani FM management expressed deep concern about the incarceration of its host and firmly rejects the allegations against her. “These accusations appear to be baseless and fabricated,” says Stanislas Woanga Kamengele, the radio station’s director, adding that no concrete evidence has been presented by the authorities so far.

The management also emphasizes that Ms. Ingabire is currently detained separately from her breastfeeding baby, a situation that is causing deep emotion among her family and colleagues.

This arrest comes amid a tense security situation in the Fizi territory, a scene of activity by several local and foreign armed groups.

Calls for the journalist’s immediate release are beginning to emerge among civil society actors and human rights defenders, who are calling for respect for the rights of refugees and media workers.

Our photo : Burundian journalist Gérardine Ingabire detained by the Congolese police (SOS Médias Burundi)