M23 rebels detain DRC journalist Espoir Mbata over WhatsApp post

Kinshasa, April 1, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls for the release of Congolese community radio director Espoir Mbata, who was detained by M23 rebels on Sunday over his WhatsApp post about their potential withdrawal from an eastern town.   “Working conditions have becoming increasingly hazardous for journalists in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, with both rebel and government authorities detaining those who report on the war,” said CPJ Africa Director Angela Quintal. “The M23/AFC coalition must free Espoir Mbata, who has not committed any crime by commenting on the news, and stop punishing journalists for sharing information with the Congolese people.” Since the rebel M23 and Congo River Alliance (AFC) joined forces in 2024, they have made unprecedented gains against the government, with journalists facing increased threats, arrests, and censorship. On March 29, three M23/AFC intelligence agents took Espoir Mbata, director of Top Buzi FM, from the radio station’s premises in the South Kivu town of Minova to a police cell, news sites reported and two journalists told CPJ, under condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisals. Mbata had posted on a WhatsApp group for the local community in Minova that the rebels, who seized the town
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