Co-authored by Sylvestre Saïdi with contributions from the Canadian human rights organization, JDH. Excerpts from 7 May 2009 article published in Congolese newspaper ‘Le Phare’, http://www.lepharerdc.com/www/index_view.php?storyID=8628&rubriqueID=13

[Informal translation]

“…In Bunia, the local population generally feels that the Court is not communicating enough despite the fact that a section of the Trust Fund for Victims is represented here. « The Hague-based ICC only reaches a few persons within a limited perimeter and its message is not relayed on the ground. Our partnership with the Court is more verbal than practical, and yet without NGOs, the ICC cannot properly fulfill its mission, as it was created for the victims», accuses Angbandia [Gilbert Angbandia, focal point for the national Coalition for the ICC]. In his statement, he alludes to the importance of “intermediaries,” a term that often applies to NGOs because they serve as an interface between the victims and the Court itself. “The Court does not adequately consider our contribution to the fight against impunity which in the end aims to facilitate its work,” Angbandia continues. In addition, he says, the Court is responsible for a chronic “deficit of information” in Bunia about Court proceedings. Some local journalists who analyze the communications strategy of the Court’s field office in DRC echo this perspective: “We are given prerecorded communications tools that do not help raise awareness about the ICC among the broader public,” says Richard Pituwa, director of the local radio station known as “Canal revelation,” which boasts one of the largest audiences in Bunia. “There should be a way to first ask local opinions about the type of message to be sent and then create an outreach tool that reflects this feedback from the ground,” he says. “What we experience here is the exact opposite of this. Furthermore, the messages we often receive are in French. However, there have been some improvements over the past two years”, says this young reporter, who works for a media outlet known for its support for justice. «We have hosted representatives of the Court on our show many times and this helps get the message out, but greater effort is required,” explains Bitu, a co-worker at a local radio station. The Kinshasa ICC field office had no comment in response to this feedback…”