Dr. Denis Mukwege, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has built his global reputation as “the man who repairs women,” celebrated for his work at Panzi Hospital treating survivors of sexual violence. However, in a troubling turn, Mukwege has publicly voiced support for Charles Onana, a French-Cameroonian writer currently on trial in Paris for denying the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
This endorsement raises significant concerns. Onana, in his book “These Tutsi Killers: At the Heart of the Congolese Tragedy”, vilifies Tutsi women in deeply misogynistic and racist terms. He portrays them as “weapons of mass destruction,” accusing them of using their charm to manipulate Western diplomats and politicians, and even to “neutralize or liquidate” enemies of the so-called Tutsi ideology. This language is not only degrading but eerily reminiscent of the hateful rhetoric spread by media like Kangura and RTLM in Rwanda in the lead-up to the 1994 genocide.
It is deeply disturbing that Dr. Mukwege, a figure who should stand against all forms of violence and hatred, would align himself with someone who espouses such harmful views. Onana’s dangerous rhetoric has found a platform in Kinshasa, receiving support from the political class in the DRC, parts of the Congolese diaspora in France, and genocide denialists in Europe. His words fuel the growing persecution of Congolese Tutsi in the eastern DRC, at a time when tensions and hate speech are already escalating in the region.
The question must be asked: Does Dr. Mukwege’s advocacy for women exclude Tutsi women, whom Onana so cruelly dehumanizes? Supporting a figure like Onana contradicts Mukwege’s standing as a defender of human rights and undermines his moral authority. It is critical that public figures, especially those who have been recognized for their commitment to justice, are held accountable for the impact of their endorsements.
The Author, Oliver Nduhungirehe, is Rwanda’s Foreign Affairs Minister.
