Democratic Republic of Congo: Radio Okapi Video
OTI supports MONUC's Radio Okapi through Fondation Hirondelle to increase the availability of and access to balanced information. This aspect of OTI's program expands Radio Okapi's broadcast capability to nine locations by providing two transmitters and four new relay stations to assure continuous (24/7) short wave and FM broadcasts. Radio Okapi's local language radio programs will disseminate information about humanitarian assistance, the peace process, and demobilization and reintegration, while engaging Congolese countrywide in debates of national importance.
Script of Radio Okapi Video
Title 1: The Hirondelle Foundation presents
Title 2: Radio Okapi, a radio network for DRC
In the east, the west, the north and the south of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, more and more people have been hearing it - and listening. Radio Okapi. Since February 25, 2002, one radio, one voice for all. A symbol for the nation.
After ten years of conflict, the DRC needed such a symbol. A decaying dictatorship, two wars, three million dead, millions of displaced persons and refugees, five foreign armies of occupation, the DRC has been bled dry. Newspapers and radios, used as tools of propaganda and power, sometimes fed the flames of war.
The United Nations Observer Mission in the Congo arrived in 1999 to monitor the recent ceasefire. Known by its acronym, MONUC, its task consisted of gradually restoring peace in this potentially wealthy and highly coveted country. One of MONUC's goals was the establishment of a radio. The United Nations chose the Hirondelle Foundation, a Swiss organisation with headquarters in Geneva as its partner in this ambitious project.
The difficulties of such a project in this country the size of Western Europe were enormous. The DRC has practically no roads. It has no railway system. The river routes were closed and mail and telephone services did not work.
The Hirondelle Foundation envisioned setting up around 10 transmitter studios in the country, with journalists covering news stories to send back to a network centre in Kinshasa.
The national programme based on news from around the country is produced in Kinshasa. This is broadcast to all local/regional stations which also produce a local/regional programme. Okapi is a radio network linked by satellite.
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| Radio Okapi banner |
Another difficulty was the hiring of journalists and providing them with training or completing what they already had. Swiss and French specialists hired by the Hirondelle Foundation worked with the new team of people from the Congo on the musical packaging, introduced new technologies and defined the editorial policy. Radio Okapi must work under particularly sensitive conditions. The journalists have learned to pay attention to each word, each turn of phrase in each news item.
Premises and transport were provided by the UN, studios and material by the Hirondelle Foundation thanks to the financial backing of Britain, Switzerland and the United States. The shipping of tons of sophisticated material to Kinshasa was done in record time. It was a real headache for the Foundation but it got the job done.
Radio Okapi has been on the air now for several months performing a communications miracle: telling the people in the various conflict regions about the reality and daily lives of their countrymen in other regions.
Radio Okapi broadcasts in French and four national languages: Lingala, Tshiluba, Swahili and Kikongo.
Besides three daily news magazines in five languages, Radio Okapi broadcasts a daily programme devoted to dialogue between the Congolese. Information from and news conferences by MONUC are also broadcast.
"Radio Okapi has unified the Congo electronically. It began on February 25. It was fantastic. I believe the radio has made a real contribution to the exchange of information and dialogue between Congolese everywhere."
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| Young radio broadcaster on Radio Okapi |
News and magazines, but also local music which is so much a part of the soul of the Congolese and whose rhythms and songs set all of Africa dancing.
After months of constant effort, financial and physical risk who can say if Okapi is successfully fulfilling its mission? For the UN, it is a success. The Congolese authorities accept the radio and often recognize its value. But the hundreds of thousands of listeners know, better than anyone, the real worth of Okapi.
- "This radio gives us reliable information."
- "It doesn't editorialize. It works well."
- "It's really doing a good job. We are proud."
- "We are cut off from the rest of the country. It is important for us to know what is happening in the other regions."
By reunifying the country through the airwaves, even before a solution to the conflict is found, Radio Okapi is realizing the dreams of many Congolese. They have taken this radio to their hearts and know that Radio Okapi will remain after peace has returned.
Title 3: Our thanks to the staff at Radio Okapi and MONUC, to the Expo.02 team and the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
Pictures: Hirondelle Foundation, UNTV, archives SRG-SSR idée suisse
Editing: Freenews, Geneva
2002 © Fondation Hirondelle
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