(Ecofin Agency) - Dr. Denis Mukwege, the Congolese gynecologist who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018, announced he is running for presidency in the upcoming elections. “The man who repairs women” made the decision public Monday during a press briefing in Kinshasa.

"For the past ten years or so, the Congolese people have been asking me to get more involved with them by standing as a candidate for the presidency of the Republic,” said the pro-women and human rights activist. He reported that he had received 160 million Congolese francs from his supporters as a deposit for his candidacy.

"For the past 40 years, I've been living alongside the poorest members of our society, who number in the millions and suffer inhuman deprivation. To this day, nothing has been done to address the situation. Despite the many promises made by this inconsistent, irresponsible and incompetent government, insecurity, hunger, unemployment and disease are the daily life of our people", he further denounced, openly criticizing the current regime, whose leader, President Félix Tshisekedi, is a candidate for his own succession.

Denis Mukwege has received numerous awards for his work in the fight against genital mutilation and rape suffered by women during the conflict in the DRC. In particular, he was awarded the Sakharov Prize in 2014 and the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018.