Honorary Doctor Denis Mukwege survives assassination attempt
NEWS
On the evening of 25 October, Dr Denis Mukwege, founder and medical director at Panzi Hospital in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and honorary doctor at Umeå University, was subjected to a murder attempt at gunpoint. Four armed men entered his home and he managed to escape the bullets by throwing himself onto the floor.
It was approximately 19:00 on 25 October when armed men broke into Dr Denis Mukwege's house in Bukavu, DRC. The perpetrators forced Mukwege's two daughters and their friend to sit quietly on the floor, waiting for him to come home. When he arrived home after a half hour, the gunmen forcred Dr Mukwege of the car and asked to him to hand over the keys.
The security guard who was on duty was shot dead and the men then fired shots toward Mukwege, who barely managed to escape the bullets by throwing himself on the floor. The men then fled in Dr. Mukwege’s vehicle, which they quickly abandoned before hijacking another vehicle. The identity of the armed men and their current location is unknown.
About Dr Denis Mukwege
Dr Denis Mukwege is the founder and medical director of Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, DRC. The hospital has become known worldwide for the treatment of survivors of sexual violence and women in need of specialised gynaecological care. Dr Mukwege has been the recipient of numerous international awards including the UN Human Rights Prize, African of the Year, the Olof Palme Prize and the Clinton Global Citizen Award. He has been nominated several times for the Nobel Peace Prize. These awards recognise his extraordinary service, humanity and commitment.
Dr Mukwege is a tireless advocate for the rights of women in DRC. He has addressed the United Nations General Assembly on the matter, most recently in September, and he regularly travels abroad raising awareness of the situation in Eastern DRC. In addition to his responsibilities managing and administering Panzi Hospital and Panzi Foundation, Dr. Mukwege continues to see patients and perform surgery.
In 2010, Dr Denis Mukwege was appointed as an honorary doctor at the Faculty of Medicine, Umeå University. He last visited Umeå University in February when he also gave a lecture on the theme "Africa in our hearts." He discussed the current situation for abused and sexually violated women in the Congo and the rehabilitation work at the Panzi hospital in Bukavu, Congo-Kinshasa.
Source: PMU (Pentecostal Mission Development in Sweden)
