Mr. Speaker, every hour 48 women are raped in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Rape is used as a strategy of war to terrorize and control women and communities. It is calculated and it is brutal. In that context, Dr. Denis Mukwege, directs Panzi Hospital where staff have treated over 30,000 survivors of systematic sexual violence. He is a determined healer, despite the ruthless reality he faces on a daily basis.
I was deeply saddened to hear of an assassination attempt against the doctor. Just days before the attack, the doctor made a speech at the United Nations where he said, “we need action, urgent action to arrest those responsible for these crimes against humanity and to bring them to justice”. These are the words that angered the perpetrators of the worst human rights violation of our time. These are the words that must be echoed by our citizens and our government until justice prevails.
The government must condemn the attack on Dr. Mukwege. It must also support peace building in the Congo, end the trade of conflict minerals that finances this awful war and speak up against the culture of impunity.