On the occasion of the International Day of Peace, celebrated on September 21, MONUSCO brought together around fifteen journalists in Bunia to discuss their contribution to peacebuilding in Ituri, a province in eastern Congo still grappling with armed violence that has claimed many lives.
One message was repeatedly emphasized to media professionals: peace is everyone’s responsibility. Information can help build peace, but when it is not verified, it can also exacerbate divisions.
Organized by MONUSCO’s Public Information Section, the meeting also provided an opportunity to discuss the Mission’s peace efforts in Ituri, as well as the responsibility of media professionals in a context still marked by the activities of armed groups and the spread of false information.
Reporting without fueling divisions
Drawing on the message delivered by the United Nations Secretary-General on the occasion of the International Day of Peace, the Head of the MONUSCO Office in Bunia, Josiah Obat, reminded journalists that peacebuilding is not solely the responsibility of institutions or security actors.
“Peace is something very precious, but sometimes people forget that until trouble begins,” he stressed, emphasizing everyone’s responsibility to contribute, at their own level, to creating conditions conducive to peace.
In a province where community tensions can be amplified by rumors, disinformation, or misinformation, journalists were encouraged to exercise greater vigilance when gathering, verifying, and reporting information.
“We have a lot of disinformation and misinformation, and these are some of the things that contribute to the violence we see in society,” explained Josiah Obat.
“That is why,” he continued, “we call on journalists to be very careful about the messages they disseminate and to verify the information they receive.”
Journalists as peace actors
Journalists have a responsibility to contribute to peacebuilding. Through their radio and television programs, as well as articles published on digital platforms, they can help raise awareness among communities and promote dialogue and peaceful coexistence.
Alex Shabdina, a journalist at Peace FM, particularly emphasized the influence that the media have on their audiences.
“We must contribute to raising public awareness and helping people understand that peace is not only the responsibility of the authorities. Peace concerns everyone,” he said.
For Amos Alima, a journalist at Radio Merveille Bunia, this responsibility involves, in particular, ensuring the reliability of the information conveyed to the public.
“We, as journalists, have the ability to educate the public and provide accurate information. A journalist must not broadcast something without going to the source to obtain the information,” he stressed.
For media professionals, fact-checking, relying on reliable sources, and disseminating responsible information are therefore concrete ways of contributing, within their respective capacities, to peace efforts in the province.
Peace efforts on several fronts
During the discussions, the Commander of the Northern Sector of the MONUSCO Force, Major General Md. Saiful Alam Bhuiyan, presented the operations carried out by peacekeepers deployed in Ituri to protect civilians.
Among other activities, he highlighted patrols conducted in areas affected by insecurity, the deployment of mobile operating bases in certain sensitive areas, the securing of roads and localities exposed to the activities of armed groups, as well as measures aimed at protecting displaced people and creating safer conditions for communities.
These operations are conducted in coordination with the Congolese defense and security forces and form part of a broader approach involving the Mission’s various components.
These efforts are complemented by community dialogues, awareness-raising activities, support from the United Nations Police to the Congolese National Police, as well as initiatives carried out with women, young people, civil society, and other local stakeholders.
Although progress has been made, challenges linked to the activities of armed groups persist. It is precisely for this reason that peacebuilding remains a daily effort that goes beyond security interventions alone.
On this International Day of Peace, the message addressed to journalists therefore echoes the one directed at the population as a whole: everyone, in their own field and at their own level, can contribute to creating a culture of peace.
This year’s theme for the International Day of Peace is: “Investing in Peace – For All, Everywhere, Every Day.”
In his message, the United Nations Secretary-General notes that “peace is built not only around negotiating tables, but also in classrooms, in neighborhoods, and wherever open minds and hearts come together.”
Didier Vignon Dossou-Gbakon
