Unions push on Dr. Mukwege to vie for Presidency in DR Congo

The 2018 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Dr. Denis Mukwege, said he had received $100,000 from his supporters for a possible candidacy in the December 20 presidential elections in the DR Congo.

Members of civil society (women's associations, local organizations, trade unions) flocked to his hospital in Bukavu, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, to present him with a check for the amount of the deposit required to run for president.

For almost 30 years, the region has been plagued by armed group violence, mass rape and genital mutilation.

The 68-year-old Denis Mukwege who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on behalf of women who have been raped, has not confirmed whether he will stand as a candidate.

One of the most outspoken critics of President Félix Tshisekedi's regime, Dr. Mukwege once again vilified the head of the state's diplomacy, criticizing him in particular for having called on East African armies to confront the "war on terror".

The single-round presidential election is scheduled for December 20.

Tshisekedi, who has been president since January 2019, is running for a second five-year term.

Possible candidates have until October 8 to register.

The political climate is tense with three months to go to the polls. Prosecutions and arrests of opposition members and journalists are multiplying across the country.

At least three journalists have been arrested or detained in recent days.