Nobel Laureate calls for peace and justice in Congo

At Frontiers of Thought, Denis Mukwege calls for actions from world actors to address sexual abuse victims

Medical doctor Denis Mukwege – who won the Nobel Prize of Peace in 2018 – took the stage of Frontiers of Thought, on Aug 19, to call for justice and peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo and for the creation of a global fund for survivors. As many as 55,000 of women who have been victims of sexual abuse have received treatment at Panzi Hospital, which he created 20 years ago in his home country. “To this day their bodies have been a battlefield. This is a war strategy that destroys generations. Entire communities are forced out of their territory for the benefit of mining companies”, he said. He was given several rounds of applause by the audience, who crowded up at the Commencement Hall of UFRGS. The event receives the cultural support from PUCRS.

His blunt depiction of the reality of Congo, a country that is governed by a coalition of rebel groups that ended up in the Army and Police, eventually prompted a member of the audience to ask a question: “How can we help?”. What should be do in view of the 6 million casualties and people who are missing as a result of the conflicts involving coltan in the Eastern part of the country? Coltan is a mixture of two minerals used in electronics, such as smartphones. One of the suggestions the activist made was to put pressure upon the United Nations to look at a report of the High Commissariat of Human Rights that presents 617 cases in detail. A criminal has recently been convicted of sexual offense by the International Criminal Court. Although the initial steps have been taken, Mukwege sees it as a victory.

Meanings of life

The conference began with the Mukwege’s account of the origin of his mission as he shared with the audience that the theme of this year’s Frontiers of Thought is Meanings of Life. He had a serious generalized infection when he was born. His family counted on the support of Primary School teacher from Sweden who was fighting against child mortality in Africa. His father, a Protestant pastor, was also a source of inspiration. At age 8, he followed him on a visit to a sick kid and realized that he wanted to pursue a career in Medicine to save lives. “As I received some help, I wanted to dedicate myself to the others no matter the price I would have to pay.”

After he finished his degree at the University of Burundi, Muckwege devoted his time to children, but he soon realized the high rates of maternal mortality. He finished his studies in Gynecology and Obstetrics at the University of Angers, in France. He also holds a PhD from the University of Brussels, Belgium. But he decided to return to the Congo in the midst of the war and devote his work to restoring dignity to women.

One of the biggest atrocities he witnessed was the attack to the hospital in the village of Lemera. “The common grave in which the victims are buried is reminiscent of the banality of evil”, he says. This crime has never been recognized. Once again, Muckwege recalls “the amnesia and silent attitude of the world”. “No Homers have ever told about the epic of these martyrs”, he stresses. However, he makes sure he will not resign to a horror that will not spares neither babies nor the elderly. To his view, another painful thing is to treat the daughters of the victims.

Attacks

As he answered a question from the audience about his personal safety, the doctor said he has suffered six attacks in 20 years. In 2011, the Health Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo threatened him not to speak at the UN General Assembly. He canceled his participation in New York the day before, but made his presence felt in the next year to put pressure for the conviction of rebel groups. As a consequence, on his way back, he was welcomed by a bunch of armed men who took his children hostage and shot his security dead. Today, he receives protection from UN peacekeepers and has decided to live at Panzi Hospital with his wife. After minutes of silence, with tears in his eyes, the doctor reported that the rest of his family has left Congo.

Another question he was asked in the conversation mediated by journalist Daniel Scola was about the responsibility of the large companies that benefit from coltan extraction. “They know the destiny of these blood ores, the burden the women go through when having their genitals mutilated. All of that has been scientifically proved.”

The next conference session of Frontiers of Thought will bring Janna Levin, Werner Herzog, Contardo Calligaris and Luc Ferry to Porto Alegre.

More about the career of Mukwege

Mukwege is considered to be the world’s leading expert on female genital reconstruction. He also coordinates HIV / AIDS programs in his country. In 2008, he received the Olof Palme Award and the United Nations Human Rights Award for his work in protecting the rights and dignity of thousands of Congolese women. In 2014, the doctor received one of the most important awards in the world, Sakharov.