The Agence Congolaise de Presse (ACP) is the official news agency of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, serving as the state’s primary vehicle for disseminating official news and information. Previously known as Agence Zaïre Presse (AZAP) during the Mobutu era, ACP traces its institutional lineage to the days when the country was known as Zaire, and remains emblematic of centralized state communication.
Media assets
News agency: ACP
State Media Matrix Typology
Ownership and governance
Established as a public establishment by Decree No. 09/50 of 2009, ACP operates under the administrative supervision of the Ministry of Communication and Media. The agency is governed by a Board of Directors appointed directly by the President of the Republic, underscoring its deep entwinement with the executive branch.
No recent reforms or changes to ACP’s governance structure have been reported as of mid-2025. The agency remains firmly under the purview of state authorities, with no indication of movement toward institutional autonomy or pluralistic oversight.
Source of funding and budget
While official financial disclosures are lacking, statutory provisions stipulate that ACP’s operations are to be predominantly funded by the state. Experts familiar with media financing in the DRC confirmed for this project that ACP relies almost entirely on government subsidies, with no meaningful commercial revenue streams reported. The size of its annual budget remains opaque, and no audited financial reports are publicly available.
In November 2024, during the parliamentary review of the 2025 national budget, ACP’s Chairman Ali Kalonga met with Jacques Djoli, the National Assembly’s Rapporteur, to discuss securing ACP’s funding. According to La Prospérité, Djoli assured that the dedicated budget line for ACP would remain untouched in the upcoming Finance Law.
Editorial independence
Despite no formal directive obliging ACP to promote government positions, the agency is widely regarded by local journalists and media experts as a mouthpiece for state propaganda. An ad hoc content analysis carried out for this review in 2024 and again in 2025 found ACP’s coverage overwhelmingly aligned with the government’s communication agenda, with minimal space for dissenting views or critical reporting.
To date, no legislation or regulatory framework has been identified that would guarantee or assess the editorial independence of ACP. There are no independent oversight mechanisms or transparency measures in place to ensure the integrity of its journalistic output.
July 2025