Denis Mukwege, a surgical gynaecologist and Nobel Peace Prize winner, says he will run for president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in an election planned for December.
Speaking to a packed auditorium in the capital, Kinshasa, on Monday, Mukwege said he wanted to save a his country, which he said is plagued by insecurity and poor leadership.
"Our country is doing badly," he said. "We cannot wait to act. Tomorrow is already too late."
Mukwege was jointly awarded the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize alongside Yazidi activist Nadia Murad for efforts to end sexual violence as a weapon of war.
A pioneering doctor, he founded the Panzi hospital and foundation in 1999 in the conflict-torn east of the DRC after he witnessed horrific injuries and diseases suffered by rape victims.
Dozens of militias have ravaged eastern DRC for years, a legacy of regional wars that flared during the 1990s and 2000s.
Government critic
Mukwege, who has faced death threats for his advocacy for women's health and survived an assasination attempt in 2012, is a strong critic of the government and he has built a loyal following among Congolese intellectuals.
His announcement of a presidential bid follows months of speculation that he harboured political ambitions.
On 16 September, Mukwege declared that his supporters had donated the $100,000 deposit needed to launch a run for the presidency.
"When the people decides to take power, no system can oppose it," he said at the time, without explicitly declaring a bid.
In the crowd of supporters in Kinshasa on Monday, Francois Risasi, told the AFP news agency that said Mukwege was "the cream of our society".
"He represents the silent majority that works but sees no results, because of a conglomerate of adventurers that share the riches of the country between themselves," he added.
The DRC is riddled with corruption and is one of the poorest countries in the world despite its vast reserves of minerals such as copper, cobalt and gold.
Opposition in disarray
In the election scheduled for 20 December, Mukwege will face off against incumbent Felix Tshisekedi, who was elected President in 2018.
Barring new political alliances forged ahead of the vote, the political opposition is heading into the presidential election fractured and relatively weak.
Other declared opposition candidates include Martin Fayulu, who ran unsuccessfully in 2018, and Augustin Matata and Adolphe Muzito, who both served as prime minister under Tshisekedi's predecessor, Joseph Kabila.
Business magnate Moise Katumbi is also expected to announce a bid before the 8 October deadline to file a candidacy.
The single-round presidential election will be held a alongside a parliamentary vote.
(AFP)
