Brussels, 25/11/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 24 November, Congolese gynaecologist Denis Mukwege - who will be awarded the 2014 Sakharov Prize on 26 November - called on the EU to take more action against rape being used as a weapon of war.
Returning to the initiative of the UK's former foreign affairs minister, William Hague, to put an end to rape as a weapon of war, Mukwege - who treats female victims of wartime rape in his Panzi hospital in Bukavu (Democratic Republic of Congo) - underlined that the EU should take hold of this initiative. “It's the only way to be able to bring states to say no to this practice”. “We want a red line to be drawn”, he said, stating that rape as a weapon of war does “as much harm, indeed more harm” than chemical weapons. “Rape used as a weapon of war dehumanises, humiliates and dishonours (…) It's a way of denying women their humanity”, he said. “It's not a women's issue but an issue of humanity”, he added.
Mukwege underscored that there could be “dissuasive action” from the international community. “Even if a group that has used these methods [rape] can be protected by its State, it can be banned from travelling and have its assets frozen”, he said. “There are many measures that can be taken at the level of the EU and the international community which can discourage” groups from using rape, excluding them from society. “This red line can be drawn by each and every one at his level”, Mukwege added.
Mukwege also called for justice. “Speaking about a solution for bringing new life to the peace process and for fighting this [sexual] violence would assume strengthening the fight against impunity. In this region where hundreds of thousands of people have been raped, we expect justice”, he said, adding that the torturers sometimes become security officers in the regions. (CG)