Pantry-based radio station brings the world to Congo

By Rodrique Ngowi
The Associated Press

	RODRIQUE NGOWI / AP Jean-Claude Bisilyabo presents a program at Radio Canal Revelation in the town of Bunia in northeastern Congo.
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BUNIA, Congo — After a long day begging on the streets, Agenong'a Munguromo presses a small radio to his ear for the latest Congolese and Western music from an FM station in this battered provincial capital.

"I spent many days begging and saving to buy this radio," the 11-year-old whispers, trying not to wake the other homeless children huddled for warmth in front of a shop. "It is my only prized possession."

A radio is indeed a prize in a town where newspapers were last printed in the 1980s, a cellphone network is just a few months old and recent looting by tribal militiamen destroyed just-opened access to the Internet.

For the past two years, Radio Canal Revelation, which also relays satellite broadcasts, has offered just about the only private access to the outside world for the 100,000 people of Bunia. The northeastern town is largely cut off from the rest of this vast central African nation by fighting in the region between the Hema and Lendu tribes.

The broadcasts have made the station's founder, Richard Pituwa, 28, a popular figure. He does it with just three battered audio-cassette players, a satellite receiver, a sound mixer, three microphones and a homemade transmitter that he operates in the pantry of a house.

Many people initially dismissed Pituwa's efforts, predicting the station wouldn't last a month. But two years later, the town's only private station is still providing music and news.

The United Nations also operates a station, as does the local government.

Despite its name, Radio Canal Revelation has no religious ties or content. Pituwa says its purpose is "to inspire young people to live positively."

With his left hand on the mixer and his right queuing up a cassette player, Pituwa produces music and other programs in French, Lingala and Kiswahili. The station, which has a daily operating cost of $16, is kept afloat by donations and volunteer labor.

At first, rebel groups and tribal fighters tried to pressure him into using the radio to recruit among the young men and women listening to his broadcasts.

"I told them we wouldn't be used as a platform for any armed group," Pituwa says.

The Hema and Lendu have fought for generations over land, but the violence became more deadly in 1999 when the tribes were armed with modern weapons and used as proxies by both Congo's government and foreign-backed rebels during a civil war.

A peace accord halted the civil war, but the tribal fighting hasn't calmed.

In May, Pituwa and 54 of his radio volunteers fled town when Hema and Lendu militiamen battled for control of Bunia, committing cannibalism, rape and murder. Only 24 of the workers have returned.

"Businesses, homes and churches were looted during the chaos, but rival militia commanders ordered fighters to stay away from our station," Pituwa says.

"I even heard one Lendu commander telling his fighters to not even think of looting our station because this is a radio for the poor youth, and it would never recover if the equipment were lost."

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