AP Presidential candidate Mukwege at a campaign meeting in Goma
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 19:00
-
Eva de Vries
Foreign editor
-
Elles van Gelder
correspondent Afrika
-
Eva de Vries
Foreign editor
-
Elles van Gelder
correspondent Afrika
“My only motivation is to save our country and restore the dignity of our people.” With these words, 68-year-old Congolese surgeon and gynecologist Denis Mukwege introduced himself candidate for the presidential elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo on December 20.
He is therefore one of 26 opposition candidates competing against incumbent President Félix Tshisekedi, who came to power in 2019 after controversial elections. Mukwege called his country, which is rich in raw materials, “the laughing stock of the continent”. He wants to turn the tide.
A noble wish, says Sandrine Ekofo, Congo policy officer at the Belgian development organization Broederlijk Delen. “But a gynecologist with international name recognition does not make a capable president.”
NOSThe Democratic Republic of Congo.
In eastern Congo, tens of thousands of girls and women are raped every year by fighters from armed groups. At the end of the 1990s, the young doctor Mukwege decided to help as many victims as possible. He founded the Panzi Hospital in his hometown of Bukavu, where he and his team work to repair the physical and psychological wounds that women suffer from sexual violence.
‘The man who fixes women’
He has now treated more than 50,000 girls and women, which he believes is a sign that mass rape is being used as a weapon of war in Eastern Congo. His work as a doctor earned him the honorary title “the man who fixes women”. In 2018 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Women and girls are being raped here and no one is standing up for us. He hears us.
Wimana, refugee camp resident
The fact that Mukwege is now running for office is well received by the women he supports. Like Wimana, who lives in a refugee camp just outside the city of Goma. Her teenage daughter was raped.
“A man lured her along, he said he knew where she could pick vegetables,” she says. “But he lied, she was taken to a rebel group, where she was raped. She only came back after three days.”
Wimana draws hope from Mukwege’s candidacy. “Women and girls are being raped here and no one stands up for us. He hears us.”
Violence in Eastern Congo
The east of Congo has been the scene of brutal violence for decades, of which civilians are the main victims. Dozens of armed groups are fighting there for control over raw materials such as cobalt, an important raw material for electric cars.
Violence has flared up recently. Rebel movement M23, which according to the United Nations is supported by neighboring country Rwanda, has captured parts of North Kivu province and is seen as a major threat. There are now almost seven million people on the run within Congo.
AFPWomen and children at a refugee camp near Goma in eastern Congo
While Mukwege spent his entire career helping with the consequences of violence, he now hopes to tackle the causes. “He wants to draw a line through corruption and poverty,” says policy officer Ekofo. “And get started on impunity by setting up an international tribunal where perpetrators are tried.”
Inspirational speeches
His main theme is safety. “Mukwege wants to get rid of foreign soldiers from countries such as Uganda and Burundi and instead invest in a strong national army. He wants to show the world that Congo is back in control.”
Congolese say he does not know the political game.
Sandrine Ekofo, policy officer at Broederlijk Delen
But can the doctor turn his wealth of experience and prestige into political gain? Ekofo doubts it. In the east, in Mukwege’s native region, everyone knows him and he will probably get a lot of votes. But in the rest of the country he is not seen as a contender, she notices.
“Congolese say he doesn’t know the political game,” says Ekofo. According to them, Mukwege is especially popular in the West, where he wins prizes and gives inspiring speeches. “They are afraid that he represents the interests of the West, because he mainly stands up for women’s rights, in a society in which men play a very dominant role.”
Ekofo also hears from many Congolese that Mukwege does not reach the ‘ordinary Congolese’ with his ‘westernized’ way of speaking. “Very contradictory, of course, because he has meant so much in recent decades, especially for ordinary Congolese people,” says Ekofo.
AFPElection posters of incumbent President Tshisekedi in the capital Kinshasa
She thinks he only has a chance if the various opposition candidates join forces and decide to put forward one strong candidate together. “But so far they’re pretty divided. I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
Puppets in the right places
In the refugee camp near Goma, Wimana continues to hope for a victory for Mukwege. “He will bring peace and care for us, the women in Congo.” But according to Ekofo, that chance is nil and President Tshisekedi will win a second term. “The cards have already been shuffled. His posters are everywhere, he has figures in the right places and enough money in his campaign coffers.”
The situation in eastern Congo will remain worrying if Tshisekedi remains in power, Ekofo fears. In any case, one advantage is that Mukwege will have time for his work in the hospital. “Where girls and women will still need him for a while.”
2023-12-16 18:00:02
#Miracle #doctor #Mukwege #running #Congo #presidency
