He had gone to DR Congo to report on conservation, economy and culture for The Nation magazine, according to his official credentials.
Greek-American journalist Stavros Nikolas Niarchos was arrested in the Democratic Republic of Congo by intelligence services for reaching out to armed organizations operating in the southeast of the country, a senior government official said today.
According to civil society organizations cited by local media, the journalist, who is the grandson of shipowner Stavros Niarchos, and a Congolese colleague were arrested on Wednesday in Lubumbashi, in southeastern Congo, and taken to the capital Kinshasa.
A senior government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the arrest to AFP, saying Niarchos is being held in Kinshasa by the ANR intelligence agency. The 33-year-old journalist, who works with the American magazines The Nation and The New Yorker, had been in contact with local armed groups, he added.
“The ANR took the journalist Nicolas Niarcho to Kinshasa to question him about his close contacts with armed groups, especially the Bakata Katanga,” the same source added.
“He made moves without first notifying the authorities,” the official continued, arguing that the government “must be vigilant” after the killing of two UN members in 2017. The United Nations had sent experts Michael Sharpe and Zaida Catalan to investigate the violence. in the region of Kasai, in central DR Congo, where they were kidnapped and murdered.
The Congolese official confirmed that the American consul had visited Niarcho, who may be released tomorrow as local authorities “have no interest in keeping him”.
Niarchos went to DR Congo to report on conservation, economy and culture for The Nation magazine, according to the official statement.
RES-EMP
View the news feed and get the latest news.
