Those accused of sexual violence ‘must face justice’

Denis Mukwege, Nobel Peace laureate, has called for the investigation of military officers accused of sexual violence.

Mukwege made the call while speaking at a programme on sexual and gender-based violence organised by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) in Abuja on Thursday.

Soldiers in the north-east have at various times been accused of sexual violence against victims of the Boko Haram insurgency, particularly women and young girls, allegations they have always denied.

In 2018, Amnesty International released a report of “how women, young girls and children were raped and starved to death by soldiers” in IDP camps.

The Nobel laureate said those in the military as well as others in power accused of sexual violence must be held accountable and prosecuted by appropriate authorities.

He added that the long silence on sexual violence “for the sake of moral comfort” has encouraged perpetrators to continue abusing their victims and getting away with the act.

“Military leaders who are accused of sexual violence need to be held accountable. They have to be prosecuted and sanctioned either by domestic or international justice,” he said. 

“It is a shame for our humanity that men in power get away with war crimes. The truth must be told and justice served.”

Mukwege also said a lot of women who have been sexually abused have not spoken out of shame and fear of stigmatisation.

“The community and the state need to encourage them to end silence,” he said. “We have to assure them that they will not be stigmatised for the crime of all of us. Silence is a perfect tool which helps the perpetrators continue to operate with impunity.”

He added that apart from taking responsibility and care for young girls and not abandoning them to the wrong persons, “we need to stand for this gender” as well.

He said countries also need to do more politically and stand together to end sexual violence which he described as “an attack on humanity and on our most precious resources including women and girls.”

Idayat Hassan, CDD executive director, said the conversation is focused on improving support and accountability for survivors of sexual violence.

She said while there has been much attention on deradicalization, counter-insurgency and reintegration of victims of the Boko Haram insurgency, “protection and reparations for victims of sexual and gender-based violence are presently at minimal.”