Nobel Peace Prize winner to contest DR Congo presidency

The Democratic Republic of Congo's Denis Mukwege, a surgical gynecologist and 2018 Nobel Peace Prize winner, announced Monday that he will run for president in elections scheduled for Dec. 20.

"I'm not doing it for interest, nor for power, but to save my homeland. I'm not going to wait until 2028. Tomorrow it's too late, I'm leaving now," declared Mukwege, 68, in a public address in the capital Kinshasa reported by local media.

He called himself an "indignant and revolted citizen" and said he promises to "work, work and work."

Mukwege said he will formally file his candidacy paperwork as an independent candidate on Tuesday with the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) in the Central African country, which is plagued by armed rebellion.

He is backed by the Alliance of Congolese for the Refoundation of the Nation (ACRN), a new political coalition established this year and led by Pastor Roger Puati.

According to local observers, Mukwege's candidacy comes as no surprise, given the financial support he has previously received from the local population.

In his various public addresses, the human rights activist, who jointly won the Nobel Prize with Yazidi activist Nadia Murad for their efforts to combat the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, has often called for a democratic revolution, urging people to vote.

He intends to continue his fight for women's rights and against sexual violence in a republic plagued by deadly armed conflicts that have forced millions of people to flee their homes.

Mukwege "has dedicated his life to defending victims of sexual violence in wartime" and "with his team has saved thousands of patients who have fallen victim to such assaults," according to the Nobel committee, which awarded him the Nobel Peace Prize.

Of the nearly 20 people who have expressed an interest in standing as a candidate for the upcoming elections, seven have so far been officially registered, according to CENI.

The ruling majority has officially designated its candidate for the December presidential election, unanimously endorsing Felix Tshisekedi , 60, the current head of state.

He is eligible for a second five-year term in accordance with the law.