The Media and Conflicts in Central Africa (review)

This book, an English translation of the French version published in 2005, examines the relationship between the mass media and conflict. Marie-Soleil Frère focuses on the period 1993–2004 in nine Central African countries: Burundi, The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Rwanda, Congo-Brazzaville, the Central African Republic, Chad, Cameroon, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea. Scrupulously researched, the book provides a wealth of information about mass media and conflict in Central Africa.

The author identifies three sets of factors that have led journalists to beat the drums of civil war. In one case, meager salaries, deficiencies in training, and restricted political freedom all make journalists susceptible to corruption and manipulation. A second set of conditions relates to the relationship between the media and political authorities; although state managers officially recognize pluralism in the media, the author found that during periods of tension and conflict the state frequently steps in to censor the press by limiting access to diversified information. A final factor concerns the professional environment: mass media organizations in central Africa are weak and sometimes divided along ethnic distinctions.

The book is thus devoted to a detailed description of the various strategies employed by state institutions to control the mass media and prevent them from being independent of state structures. Although state coercive power remains critical, the most important factor limiting the media’s freedom and professionalism seems to be the lack of financing; the media in Central Africa work in a situation of total destitution. The author’s solution to help the media regain some professionalism and provide a voice for the voiceless is external financial support, whereby the media can “become platforms of full expression” for citizens (251). In addition, a chapter by Jean-Paul Marthoz urges a change in the culture of indifference of the international press, calling for Western media to prioritize African reporting to make sure such dramas remain part of Western leaders’ political agenda.

The book has several strengths. Despite an overwhelming emphasis on Burundi, DRC, and Rwanda, the inclusion of nine countries potentially allows broader understanding of the relationship between mass media and conflict. Furthermore, it provides a detailed examination of a region that has witnessed two of the worst human tragedies in recent history—genocide in Rwanda, and a war that has cost the lives of more than four million people in the DRC. Finally, the book contributes to the debate on the causes of ethnic conflicts. People interested in the ethnic dynamics of the countries in Central Africa may find this book quite useful.

However, there are major issues to be raised about the book’s overall perspective. First, most students of comparative studies will not find the book useful in helping them formulate an adequate theoretical framework; the book is too descriptive, offering neither cogent discussions of key concepts nor a useful analytical framework. In fact, the author does not adequately explore the implications that her cases have for the “theoretical debates and concrete actions” that Ross Howard carefully developed in the French version of the book. The translated volume does not do justice to the French version, titled Afrique Centrale Médias et Conflicts, Vecteurs de Guerre ou Acteurs de Paix; it is unfortunate that Howard’s chapter was not included in this edition.

Because of these limitations, one is left wondering whether the mass media is the explanatory variable that fuels conflict or an intervening variable that facilitates conflict. In the end, the mass media emerge as manipulated by those actors who seek to use the media and ethnic affinities as instruments to uphold their own political agendas. Thus one could easily conclude that the book is about political liberalization. This is perhaps an issue of style or perhaps a coincidence, since political liberalization occurred during the period under investigation.

Still, The Media and Conflict in Central Africa presents a convincing description of...