Brussels, 26/11/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 26 November, Congolese gynaecologist Denis Mukwege - who treats female victims of wartime rape in his Panzi Hospital in Bukavu (Democratic Republic of Congo) - was awarded the 2014 Sakharov Prize from the European Parliament in Strasbourg (see EUROPE 110204).
Mukwege stated that the prize was a “very important sounding board to be able to transmit the crises of Congolese women and all women worldwide who suffer in their body, because war (..) is waged on their body”. “This is a very clear way of saying to them 'you are not alone', but it's also a clear message for the torturers that the world cannot stay indifferent in the face of war crimes”, Mukwege, 59, stated.
Mukwege warned that “this prize won't have any significance to the female victims of sexual violence if you won't join us in our quest for peace, justice and democracy”. He thus called on the EU to breathe new life into the Addis Ababa agreement of 2013 to put an end to the fighting in the east of the country between the army and rebel groups.
In his acceptance speech, Mukwege said he “lives with the horror” and stated that too much time and energy have been spent fixing the consequences of violence. “It's time to take care of the causes”, he said. In Mukwege's view, “there will be no peace or economic and social development if human rights are not respected, if repair is not made for the survivors of rape and the victims (…) if there is no mechanism for establishing the truth for reconciliation”. “Justice should also be at the centre of the peace process and the fight against impunity should be reinforced”, he added.
Awarding Mukwege his prize, European Parliament President Martin Schulz commended the “extraordinary commitment” of a man who dedicates his life to “peace and justice” and to “the fight for women's dignity”. “The Parliament calls on the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo to take its responsibilities and put an end to this violence and the impunity of the rapists”, he said, also wanting the government to ensure women free access to the legal system (our translation throughout). (CG)