On a roaming mission in five pilot provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the National Fund for Reparations for Victims of Sexual Violence Related to Armed Conflicts and Peace Against Humanity went to the Panzi reference hospital directed by Dr Denis Mukwege. This visit marks the start of a collaboration between the Fund and the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize winner with the aim of effectively caring for victims of violence.
During this meeting, Lucien Lundula Lolatui, Director General of FONAREV, underlined the importance of this collaboration by mentioning that Dr Denis Mukwege was credible in the field of reparation for rape victims. The doctor pledged to work jointly with the Fund to support victims of violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
This collaboration between FONAREV and Dr Denis Mukwege marks an important step in the care of victims. The Nobel Peace Prize winner said he was proud of the involvement of the First Lady Denise Nyakeru in this Fund, and expressed his desire to support FONAREV both in terms of advocacy and in the reparation methodology.
This visit to the Panzi hospital allowed the FONAREV delegation to see the importance of this establishment in the rehabilitation of women victims of violence. It also marks the start of a promising collaboration to offer victims appropriate care, in accordance with the wishes of the Head of State Félix Tshisekedi and the First Lady, patron of FONAREV.
This joint initiative between FONAREV and Dr Denis Mukwege demonstrates a strong commitment to the victims of violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It constitutes an important step towards repairing the trauma suffered by these victims and building a more just and equitable society.
The writing of this article was inspired by the FONAREV press release relaying the visit of its delegation to the Panzi reference hospital headed by Dr Denis Mukwege.