Denis Mukwege: UN guards DR Congo Nobel laureate after death threats
Nobel peace laureate Denis Mukwege has been placed under the guard of United Nations security forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo after death threats against him.
The gynaecologist and his colleagues have treated tens of thousands of rape victims and he went on to share the Nobel Prize in 2018.
Dr Mukwege said he received death threats after condemning a massacre. It prompted hundreds of people to protest, calling for his protection.
Eastern DR Congo, where Dr Mukwege is based, has been wracked by conflict for more than 25 years, fuelled by the area’s rich mineral resource.
The UN has a huge peacekeeping mission in the region but numerous armed groups still operate and carry out atrocities such as mass killings and rape.
Dr Mukwege is based near the town of Bukavu at the Panzi hospital, which treats women who have been raped.
UN police officers had been stationed at the hospital but left in May because of a coronavirus outbreak among the peacekeepers. BBC News
