The Burundian police have handed over the Burundian journalist, Antediteste Niragira working for the German channel Deutsche Welle, to the National Communication Council (CNC). He has been detained in the Democratic Republic of Congo since 17 May.
Pierre Nkurikiye, Spokesman for Burundi Police handing Antediteste Niragira, correspondent of Deutsche Welle over to Aimée Divine Niyokwizigirwa, Spokesperson for CNC
Deutsche Welle correspondent Antediteste Niragira, who had just been released from Uvira prison, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, arrived in Burundi yesterday at around 4 pm, police source says.
Pierre Nkurikiye, Spokesman for Burundi Police, says Congolese authorities handed him over to the Burundian police, who subsequently took him to the National Intelligence Service of Burundi.
The police have handed him over to the CNC this morning, says Nkurikiye. He also says the journalist traveled to the DRC with no official permission to do his job as a reporter on the Congolese territory.
Antediteste says he had left Bujumbura on 17 May to report on Burundian refugees in Kavimvira camp, in Uvira. “I was arrested when I was in the process of seeking accreditation, “Niragira says.
Deutsche Welle correspondent says there are two ways to seek accreditation, either in Bujumbura through the DRC Embassy in Burundi or on Congolese territory through the National Intelligence Agency. “I was arrested before reaching my goal because I had the mission to interview the Burundian refugees from the Kavimvira camp,” Niragira says.
He regrets that he forgot to ask for a mission order from his employer before going to DRC.
Niragira says the conditions in which he was detained were deplorable. “I could not sleep. I spent a whole night scratching my body, “he says. He rejects the information that he was arrested when interviewing Burundian refugees.
Aimée Divine Niyokwizigirwa, Spokesperson for the CNC, says journalist Antediteste Niragira was arrested because he had no official permission to do his job in the DR Congo.
She calls on all Burundian journalists to request the mission order and accreditation before leaving the Burundian territory. “Journalists also need to inform local authorities before entering a province in which they wish to do their job,” says Niyokwizigirwa.
On 21 May Dirke Köpp, Director of the Africa / Francophone Program on German Radio, Deutsche Welle urged Congolese authorities to release their correspondent who was arrested by the Congolese Intelligence Agency (ANR), accusing him of espionage. Dirke Köpp rejected those accusations which she described as unfounded.
IWACU Open Data
