In eastern DRC, journalist faces knife attack, threats, another detained 3 times

Kinshasa, October 6, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to protect journalists, following a knife attack, robbery, and death threats against Patient Chimusa and the repeated detention of Aimé Paluku in government-controlled eastern regions.

“The attacks and threats endured by journalist Patient Chimusa, along with the repeated detention of Aimé Paluku, are tragic reminders of the dangers journalists continue to face in government-controlled eastern DRC,” said CPJ Africa Director Angela Quintal. “Reporting in a conflict zone is risky enough without authorities allowing their allies to intimidate journalists. Congolese authorities should hold those responsible to account and prioritize the safety of the media.”

On October 1, Chimusa, a journalist at privately owned Référence Congo FM, was boarding a motorcycle taxi after work, at about 9 p.m., when he was stopped by two men in Uvira in South Kivu province. After criticizing Chimusa’s coverage of Uvira’s “dead city” protests, one of the assailants cut the journalist’s right arm with a knife and fled. 

Chimusa began receiving death threats after hosting radio debates on September 4 and 5 about residents’ protests over the appointment of Olivier Gasite Mukunda as the provincial commander in charge of military operations and intelligence.

Uvira became the provincial capital after rebels captured the previous capital, Bukavu, in February. The M23, a key player in the Congo River Alliance (AFC) coalition, also took control of North Kivu’s provincial capital, Goma, in January, as part of a decades-long conflict in the mineral-rich region.

Chimusa told CPJ that Uvira residents shuttered shops and stayed indoors to call for Gasite’s dismissal, alleging that he was allied with the M23 because of his ethnicity.

Chimusa said he received two threatening phone calls from unidentified persons and three text messages on September 7 and another text message on September 12. The messages, reviewed by CPJ, accused Chimusa of inciting locals to hate Gasite’s ethnic group, the Banyamulenge.

Chimusa said he was also attacked by three people after work on September 8, two of whom were armed with knives and took his phone and laptop.

Accused of spying

Meanwhile in neighboring North Kivu, government military intelligence officers detained Paluku, a reporter for the state-owned RNTC broadcaster, on September 27, at their headquarters in Butembo and took his phone and laptop. Paluku, who moved to Butembo in July from rebel-controlled Goma, told CPJ that the officers detained him for several hours and accused him of spying for the M23.

Paluku said the same officers detained him again for several hours on September 28 and took him into custody for a third time on September 29, when they held him for two nights until October 1, before freeing him and returning his possessions.

Evariste Kakule Somo, military governor of North Kivu province, did not answer CPJ’s calls to request comment and calls to South Kivu Governor Jean-Jacques Purusi did not connect.