Secretary-General Condemns Attack on Director-General, Panzi Hospital

 

in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo

The following statement was issued on 25 October by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Secretary-General condemns in the strongest possible terms the violent attack which took place tonight at the home of Dr. Denis Mukwege, the founder and Director-General of the Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, South Kivu Province in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.  He is outraged to learn that armed men entered the home of Dr. Mukwege and held his family at gunpoint, ultimately killing his security guard.

Dr. Mukwege’s extraordinary and heroic work has saved the lives of tens of thousands of Congolese, many thousands of them women and girls who have been the victims of sexual violence in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.  He continues to be a force for good, and Panzi Hospital a haven for the most vulnerable.

The Secretary-General calls on the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to ensure the safety and security of Dr. Mukwege and his family and to make every effort to identify the perpetrators of this attack and hold them accountable.

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For information media • not an official record