In the DRC, there are less than two weeks left for potential candidates for the presidential election at the end of 2023 to make it known. Indeed, the candidacy registration office opened on September 9 by the Electoral Commission (Céni) must close on October 8. Among the expected candidacies, there is that of Doctor Denis Mukwege, but the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize still leaves doubt.
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If he has not yet said “yes”, he has not decided for “no” yet. In Dr. Mukwege’s entourage, we still want to believe it. The proof, according to them, is these 100,000 dollars collected for this cause and whose contributors are ordinary citizens who sometimes gave the little they had. Having come to his hospital in Bukavu, members of civil society actually gave Denis Mukwege, around ten days ago, the amount of the deposit necessary to run for president.
“ We can’t receive people’s deposit if it’s not to go », Confided to our colleagues at TV5 Monde Professor Alphonse Maindo, close to Mukwege. For him, it is clear, there are positive signals. Behind the scenes, but also in the media, his supporters are active. They were notably in Europe in recent days to mobilize around this candidacy. Doctor Mukwege is now in the United States.
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There are also primaries at the level of part of civil society in the DRC to nominate a common candidate for the presidential election, within the Alliance of Congolese for the Refoundation of the Nation (ACRN) grouping. Several sources tell us that this person could join Mukwege in the event of a candidacy.
A civil society platform which also presented candidates to national and local deputations. The presidential election is not everything, in the event of victory, we must ensure representation in Parliament.
A candidacy around 12 pillars
What his supporters also say is that there are issues to take into account before announcing a candidacy. They mention the safety of Dr Mukwege which will have to be ensured during the campaign. Currently, it is Monusco, the United Nations Mission in the DRC, which is in charge. Will this still be possible if he enters the political arena?
As for its program, it has not been published in detail, but it exists and is structured around 12 pillars. The main ones are, on the one hand, peace, security and defense. He wants to fight against the balkanization of the country and regularly attacks neighboring countries: Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda.
On the other hand, the other pillars are justice and the rule of law. It’s quite consistent when we look at the fights, the positions taken by Doctor Mukwege. He has been calling for an end to impunity for years and years.
The man from the West?
As for his detractors, they evoke an image that often comes up when we talk about Doctor Mukwege: he is the man of the West. He has support in Europe and the United States where he is recognized thanks to his Nobel Prize. Books and films have been dedicated to him, which have also reinforced a certain aura.
His hospital receives funding from abroad. And moreover, when a Western personality comes to the DRC, it has become almost a necessary step: the Belgian king went to Panzi, François Hollande, the former French president was there in September last year. In 2023, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court went there, as did the Swiss president. The French president in March was not in Bukavu, but he met the doctor in Kinshasa.
Finally, observers say that it is better known outside the country than inside, but in reality, there is little reliable data to confirm this. The best test will ultimately be to see his score in the presidential election, if he were to run. First element of response from October 8: deadline for submitting applications.