Lubumbashi, 3 July 2015: About fifty journalists from Katanga province signed a code of good conduct to adopt during the electoral period, at the end of a workshop on the role of Medias in achieving a peaceful electoral period in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Facilitated by the Office of the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) in Lubumbashi, the objective of the workshop was to build journalists’ capacity to help them make substantial contribution to the holding of free, credible, transparent and peaceful elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The journalists who signed the code of conduct came from the 4 districts of Katanga. They, inter alia, made a solemn commitment to cover with professionalism the electoral process, to avoid being manipulated by political leaders, to share equitably the air time among the different candidates, to avoid making any propaganda and broadcasting hatred messages or disseminating intoxicating messages.

During this workshop, Ms. Fabienne Mukulu Moya, provincial Executive Secretary for the Independent Electoral Commission (CENI), district of Haut Katanga gave a presentation on the electoral process mainly focusing on the institutional and legal framework governing the elections, on the comprehensive electoral calendar, logistics for the organization of the elections, oversight mechanisms, the electoral disputes and campaign, insisting on the role to be played by journalists for a smooth electoral process.

Journalists also received refresher sessions on concepts such as professional ethics inherent to their profession. Eminent professors of Medias were called upon to hold practical sessions which journalists said were captivating. They took journalists through the basics for professional journalism: how to do a reporting on electoral matters, how to prepare an interview with a political leader, how to collect, analyze, handle and broadcast a piece of information, sources of information, consciousness, respect for ethics and professional code of ethics… The majority of the journalists from remote areas of Katanga said they were trained while on the job. For them, these notions are key in the exercise of their profession.

At end of the workshop closed by the representative of the provincial Minister for communication, journalists expressed the hope to see MONUSCO regularly organize such fora.

Carine Tope R'ridasi