Mbandaka, 15 December 2010 – The Public Information Division of the UN Stabilization Mission in the DR Congo (MONUSCO) in the Equateur Province organized a training workshop for 50 media professionals to enhance their reporting abilities to support their work during the forthcoming presidential and general elections expected in 2011.

The three-day workshop, which was designed as a refresher course, focused on: Journalistic Code of Ethics, Radio Reporting, Program Presentation Techniques, and a presentation on the upcoming review of the voters' list.
Among the speakers at the workshop were the Public Prosecutor in Mbandaka, Sylvain Kaluila, and MONUSCO Director of Public Information, George Ola-Davies. The first speaker underlined some of the legal limitations pertaining to the freedom of the press, and urged the media professionals to heed to them while performing their duties. The Director of MONUSCO Public Information Division shared some of the latest journalistic reporting practices with the participants.

For his part, the Head of MONUSCO/Equateur office, Ould Mohamed Elhacen, highlighted the Mission's contributions to the development of the local media.

MONUSCO had organized similar workshops in Yakoma, Gbadolite and Gemena, also in Equateur Province.
The UN Mission's contributions to the development of local media include a fully equipped Press House in Gbadolite, and two Community Radio stations in Djolu and Yakoma. A $70,000 Radio project is being jointly sponsored by MONUSCO and other UN agencies. The station will be in Dongo.

Participants at the workshop expressed their gratitude to MONUSCO, and urged the provincial Government to continue its support to the media to help it attain a higher professional level.

Jean-Tobie Okala/MONUSCO