The United States and Canada condemn the acts of intimidation and death threats against Denis Mukwege

1. The United States and Canada condemn the acts of intimidation and death threats against Denis Mukwege, medical director of the Panzi General Reference Hospital in South Kivu and winner of the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize.Through his tweet last Wednesday, the American ambassador to the DRC denounced these unacceptable threats. For lasting peace, he said calls for accountability for the restoration of state authority in the east of the country are essential.

“We are concerned about the continued brutal violence which claims so many innocent victims and also about the unacceptable threats against Denis Mukwege. Calls for accountability for violence in eastern DRC are essential to build lasting peace, ”said Mike Hammer.

As the violence escalates in eastern DRC, Canadian diplomat Nicolas Simard finds it inconceivable that death threats could be made against Dr. Mukwege.

“Canada is working closely with Nobel Prize winner Denis Mukwege and his team at the Panzi Foundation to support survivors of gender-based and sexual violence. It is unacceptable that death threats can be made against him as violence escalates in eastern DRC. We urge an end to impunity to ensure lasting peace in the region, ”wrote the Canadian Ambassador to the DRC.

The threats against Dr. Mukwege follow his denunciation of the massacre perpetrated in the village of Kipupu, in the sector of Itombwe (territory of Mwenga, province of South Kivu) on the night of July 16 to 17, 2020 and during of which more than 220 people were reportedly killed by combatants from armed groups.

This prompted the Congolese gynecologist to hammer home the recommendations of the Mapping Project report published by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in August 2010 to end impunity for crimes committed in the DRC since 1996.

Dr. Mukwege also reiterated his call for "the creation of a special jurisdiction to try crimes in the Congo".