La radio communautaire et le défi de l’accès à l’information publique en période de crises en Afrique : l’exemple de la République démocratique du Congo

Abstract

Long used as a tool for political propaganda in the service of power, radio has been emancipated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for the past ten years. Faced with the precariousness of social infrastructure and the absence of state authority, community radio stations emerge on the margins of state or commercial radio stations. Run by civil society, they play a leading role in defending public rights and freedoms. They contribute to the promotion of democratic values and the consolidation of peace. Their broadcasts disturb power but meet with the consent of the people because they denounce abuses, give real information and give space to members of the community to discuss issues of common interest. However, the conditions under which they operate are deplorable. Most of them do not have adequate minimum equipment and operate underground. Journalists are frequently arrested, even killed, and their houses closed. The following text mentions this precariousness.