Congo expels Belgian television crews ahead of expected protests

Congo has expelled five journalists from the Belgian broadcasters VRT and VTM, a government spokesman said Saturday, amid reports that they had intended to cover protests against President Joseph Kabila.

The journalists arrived in Kinshasa on Friday, but were refused accreditation by the Congolese authorities and were arrested, Radio Television Belga Francophone reported.

Government spokesman Lambert Mende quoted the migration authorities as saying that the journalists had violated rules on entry and on exercising professional activities in Congo.

He said they had left on a flight back to Brussels late Friday. The RTBF report named one of the journalists as Peter Verlinden, but did not name the others.

Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders condemned the expulsion, saying that press freedom was a fundamental value for Belgium and that he would raise the issue with the Congolese authorities.

Congo has announced it will block access to social media sites starting on Monday, when Kabila would normally have relinquished power as his second mandate expires.

But the elections due in November were postponed until April 2018 in what most of the opposition regards as a ploy to extend the president’s stay in power.

Dozens have been killed in anti-government protests.

Belgium on Friday advised against travelling to Congo and urged citizens whose presence was not essential to leave its former colony to avoid possible violence.