Amnesty International (AI) has called on authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to urgently repeal the 1996 censorship decree.
The organisation made the call after DRC’s National Censorship Commission banned the broadcasting of seven songs deemed to be critical of the government.
The 1996 decree provides for content regulation by the National Censorship Commission before any song is released to the public, or any show is performed in public and imposes a financial burden on artistes of up to $500 per song.
AI said authorities were using censorship regulations to curb artistic freedom in the central African country.
The songs denounced the government’s failure to ensure people can enjoy their human rights and blamed the political elite for incompetence and corruption.
Following public outcry on 10 November, 2021, one of the songs, Nini To Sali Te, was unbanned. However, the ban on the six other songs remains in place.
AI noted that the decision to ban the songs was a violation of DRC’s international obligations under international and regional standards, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
‘That the DRC authorities have resorted to censorship to clamp down on artistic freedom is a chilling reminder that artistes continue to risk being silenced for their dissent’, the organisation’s Deputy Director for East Africa, Horn and the Great Lakes, Flavia Mwangovya, said in a statement.
‘The authorities must immediately repeal the 1996 decree which allows banning of any artistic expression that is not to their liking. Authorities must immediately repeal this problematic piece of legislation and ensure that artistes can exercise their right to freedom of expression without interference.
‘Artistic freedom is not a crime. Authorities must stop silencing artistes and allow free speech to thrive’.
The human rights organisation also said, ‘While it [1996 censorship decree] is supposed to ensure that songs and shows do not violate the law, security, public order, and morals (with no clear definition), it has often been used to suppress dissenting voices’.
Freedom House classified DRC as ‘not free’ in its 2021 Freedom in the World study of political rights and civil liberties worldwide, with the country earning 20 out of a possible 100 points.
Although constitutionally guaranteed in the country, freedom of the press and expression is restricted in practice, according to data from Freedom House.
Source: Amnesty International
Photo source: Mulungwishi mission station
