By Daniel Itai.
DRC. (News of The South) – Radio journalist Papy Mahamba Mumbere lost his life over the weekend after rebels stormed into his home in Lwebma, which is in the Democratic Republic of Congo where they killed him, wounded his wife and afterwards burned his house down.
Prior to that, Mahamba was hosting an Ebola awareness programme on the community radio station, Radio Lwemba.
The Observatory of Freedom of the Press in Africa (OLPA) confirmed the death of the 35 year old reporter. “Mumbere was savagely murdered at his home by unidentified individuals with white knives.”
OLPA further said, “after having mutilated the journalist, the assailants also wounded his wife before setting his residence on fire.”
Health officials are struggling with increased hostility from the public against the latest outbreak of the Ebola virus.
Decades of violence from more than a hundred armed rebels as well as rising distrust and rejection of Ebola treatment by some communities is hampering attempts to eradicate the virus.
The violence is thought to be fuelled by the belief among many people that the virus is not real, which can lead to mistrust of those working in the sector. People working to stop the virus are often targeted.
In September, rebels torched around 20 homes of health workers fighting Ebola in the area around Mambasa.
Comments
About Author
