On Saturday 2 July 2022, Odiane Lokako-Felber received the “Global Messenger of Hope” award from the international organisation I Change Nations (ICN).
At the ceremony in Kinshasa, she made a passionate plea for peace and dignity:
“If I have received this award, it is because since my youth I have worked for women, above all those who are victims of sexual violence in eastern DRC. As you all know, our country has faced war for several years. God gave us a blessed country that everyone covets. What is happening in the East is unacceptable. I don’t believe any man can accept that his wife or his children be raped. We have just heard testimonies that are horrifying. We are at war. Sadly, in every war in the world, it is always women and children who suffer.”
As fighting resumed with the resurgence of the M23 rebel movement in the east of the country, Odiane Lokako called for a general mobilisation to restore peace across the whole territory:
“Every day, we put pressure on the government. I want to ask the people to say no to this war. Today the world is witnessing the war between Ukraine and Russia. We see how Ukrainians, without necessarily being politicians or business people, stood up to say no to war. If we allow the eastern part of our country to be attacked, we can be attacked from anywhere. It is up to us to support our armed forces, the FARDC, and to keep fighting for victory. We are Congolese, and we must be proud of it. Our identity is under threat today. It is up to each of us to fight for the situation to change.”
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