Denis Mukwege thunders against the lack of justice for crimes in the DRC
Denis Mukwege during a press conference in Tokyo, October 3, 2019. Behrouz MEHRI / AFP
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
Despite the death threats, Doctor Denis Mukwege is far from discouraged.
The Congolese Nobel Peace Prize winner appeared by video conference from Bukavu during a session of the European Parliament's human rights committee.
He does not budge: without judging the crimes of the past, human rights violations will continue to increase in his country.
Publicity
Read more
Far from being intimidated by
the threats hanging over him
, Dr Mukwege insists on the gravity of the human rights situation in his country.
He quotes
figures from the latest report from the United Nations Office for Human Rights for the
first six months of the year.
“
On average, eight civilians are killed in conflict every day, that's huge.
And very often, it is women and children who are the main victims.
Day after day, month after month, year after year, new human rights violations are documented, reported and analyzed.
"
For Dr. Mukwege, it is because the executioners of yesterday are still hiding within the armies and institutions of the DRC and the countries of the region that these violations are perpetuated.
He calls for the creation of an international criminal tribunal that can judge not only the crimes of the two wars, but that its mandate continues until today.
“
The lack of political will and realpolitik have for too long taken precedence over the need and thirst for justice and truth.
It is in this context that the massacres continue.
This situation which shames our common humanity cannot last any longer.
"
The Nobel Peace Prize lauded the initiative of President Tshisekedi - "
a politician unrelated to the crimes of the past
", he stressed - to opt for the establishment of a transitional justice mechanism.
But in early August, the Head of State complained about the little progress made on this project under study at the government level.
Newsletter
Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_FR
DRC
Human rights
On the same subject
DRC: indignation after the death of two schoolchildren following an attack in North Kivu
DRC: 23 young people suspected of having formed a militia arrested in Kinshasa
DRC: UN condemns death threats against Dr Mukwege