USA Africa Dialogue Series - Congolese doctor who worked with rape victims survives murder attempt

Congolese doctor who worked with rape victims survives murder attempt

Denis Mukwege, who was nominated for Nobel peace prize, gave speech to
UN last month denouncing mass rape in Congo
David Smith, Africa correspondent
guardian.co.uk, Friday 26 October 2012 17.14 BST


A Congolese gynaecologist known for his work with victims of sexual
violence has told how a quick-thinking friend saved him from
assassination and paid with his own life.

Denis Mukwege, who has won numerous awards and been nominated for the
Nobel peace prize, narrowly escaped death when five gunmen in civilian
clothes attacked his home in Bukavu, eastern Democratic Republic of
the Congo, on Thursday night.

"I thought they would kill me," he told the Guardian. "These people
got into my home and my two daughters were there. They told them to
sit down and not use the phone. They sat with them in the dining room
and waited until they heard my car drive up."

One of the assailants opened the gate and forced Mukwege out of his
vehicle. "I was at one side of the car and the man was at the other
side," Mukwege continued. "He came to me and tried to shoot me but
Jeff [a man employed at Mukwege's home] was behind him and called out.
The man turned around and shot him two times."

Out of instinct Mukwege threw himself to the ground. "He turned back
to shoot me but I was already down. He jumped in the car and left
quickly."

The gunmen are believed to have swiftly abandoned Mukwege's car before
hijacking another vehicle. Their identity and location are unknown.

Mukwege, 57, is relieved that his family are unscathed but mourning
the death of the man he always knew simply as Jeff, a trusted friend
and employee who was the same age as him. "The man worked with me a
long time," he said, his voice cracking with emotion. "It's a terrible
loss for me and all my family."

The motive for the assassination attempt is a mystery. "Why? I don't
know. They didn't ask me for money or anything."

Mukwege is the founder and medical director of the Panzi hospital in
Bukavu, where he and his staff have helped treat more than 30,000
survivors of sexual violence – often gang rapes – by armed groups,
including women in need of specialised gynaecological care. He has
been described as "likely the world's leading expert on repairing
injuries of rape."

Mukwege also travels regularly to speak about the plight of these
victims and he addressed the UN general assembly in September.

His work has earned numerous international awards including the UN
Human Rights Prize, King Baudouin Africa Development Prize, African of
the Year, Olof Palme Prize and Clinton Global Citizen Award, while the
Carter Foundation has named him a "citizen of the world".

Word of the murder attempt caused anger and revulsion around the
world. Activist and playwright Eve Ensler, founder of the V-Day global
movement to end violence against women, who first travelled to Congo
at Mukwege's invitation in 2007, said: "One of the great men of the
world was almost murdered tonight. We cannot let this continue, we
must create an environment where it is safe for Dr Mukwege and all the
people of Congo to live and thrive."

There was speculation of a political motive for the attack. Describing
Mukwege as "one of my heroes", New York Times columnist Nicholas
Kristof blogged: "Dr Mukwege presumably was targeted because of a
strong speech he gave at the United Nations last month, denouncing
mass rape in Congo and the impunity for it. President [Joseph] Kabila
has long been angry at Dr Mukwege, and the UN speech can't have
helped. Meanwhile, Dr Mukwege has also offended Rwanda with his
denunciations of Rwanda's role in the slaughter and rape in eastern
Congo."

The Sonke Gender Justice Network, a non-government organisation
working for equality in Africa, said: "We fear for the safety of Dr
Mukwege and worry that this attempt on his life was directly linked to
his advocacy work. It closely follows a speech he gave at the UN last
month in which he denounced the country's 16 years of violent conflict
and called for 'urgent action to arrest those responsible for these
crimes against humanity and to bring them to justice.'

"We call on the DRC [Congolese] government to immediately ensure his
safety. We also call on each of our own governments and the African
Union to monitor the situation and to ensure Dr Mukwege's safety."



© 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies.
All rights reserved.

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