Congolese Whistleblower Broadcasts the Sound of the Voiceless

By Idrees Ali 

“The day I launched the [radio] signal, it was amazing. My dream had become a reality.”

When a volcanic eruption in 2002 forced Sekombi to flee Goma, his home in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), he didn’t know if he would ever return. More than a decade later, Sekombi is now leading Eastern Congo’s fastest-growing radio station, highlighting everyday heroes from across the region. Sekombi had spent most of his life in Goma until 2002. The Nyiragongo Volcano eruption destroyed 15 percent of Goma and forced 400,000 people to evacuate. He fled to Uganda, where he became involved in a youth center that brought together children from across Africa. Sekombi had always been interested in the arts; as one of 13 siblings, his family stressed the importance of music and dance and the ways that they could be used to promote positive change. At the youth center, Sekombi learned how to speak seven different languages. He returned to Goma in 2005 with a more global perspective and a passion to change his country for the better by using the arts and media he had always loved.

In 2010, Google provided funding for Sekombi to create a radio station in Goma that would provide a neutral news source and insight into the lives of ordinary Congolese. Sekombi established the radio station because he believes that in a country like the DRC, torn apart by decades of war and conflict, radio has the power to heal the wounds of the past, encourage peace, and provide reliable information that promotes democratic governance.

“The most complicated issue is to be balanced, but I think that is also our strength,” Sekombi said. “The radio was a response to a  need… to give voice to the voiceless.”

His radio station, Mutaani, carries a variety of different shows ranging from music to daily news. Sekombi’s favorite part is the news  about the daily lives of Congolese who are working to make their country a better place. One story in particular touched him. One woman, an average Congolese, was making less than a dollar a day, but she continued to work, day in and day out, to feed her nine  children. Sekombi feels that it is incredibly important to highlight everyday heroes that other Congolese can relate to and be inspired  by. Sekombi is also a part of a campaign for peace in the DRC called Falling Whistles.

“The most important role in war zones is having an independent media…We know what happened with Rwanda and use of radio for genocide, we don’t want that happening anymore,” Sekombi said. He’s considered to be a whistle blower who uses his station as a voice for peace and tolerance rather than violence and destruction.

What does the future hold for Sekombi?

While he has faced a number of challenges since he created the station, including the destruction of its radio transmitter, Sekombi has big plans for Mutaani. With the largest radio station in Goma and a recording studio to go along with it, Sekombi hopes to extend the station’s reach throughout the country and build a top quality TV station to continue using media to create positive change in the DRC.

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Idrees Ali is a former New Media Intern at Search for Common Ground. He is pursuing a Master’s in Journalism at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism, University of Maryland College Park.