🇨🇩 Radio Okapi

About Radio Okapi

Radio Okapi was founded in February 2002 as a joint initiative of the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC, now MONUSCO) and the Swiss NGO Fondation Hirondelle. It is currently managed by MONUSCO and operates with an annual budget of USD $4.5 million.

Radio Okapi is widely regarded as a significant and generally reliable source of information in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with The Economist in 2011 describing it as one of Africa's most admirably independent radio services. Many Congolese consider it a credible source amidst widespread disinformation. However, recent studies and reports indicate that Radio Okapi tends to rely heavily on state and military sources in its conflict reporting, sometimes presenting events without sufficient historical or political context. It has also been accused by the AFC/M23 armed group of spreading biased information and 'anti-M23 propaganda,' and of failing to offer a right of reply. A 2012 incident saw its broadcast suspended in Kinshasa, allegedly due to an interview with an M23 rebel leader. Critics have also pointed to methodological flaws, such as the use of anonymous sources without sufficient evidence, in some of its reporting on conflict.