Angelina Jolie Backs Muganga Film, Warns of 48 Rapes an Hour

Hollywood star and humanitarian Angelina Jolie has thrown her weight behind “Muganga: Celui qui soigne” (Muganga, The One Who Treats), a new film about Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr Denis Mukwege. Jolie is serving as an executive producer and has been promoting the film with a stark message: “Forty‑eight women an hour are raped and mutilated in Congo.” The figure, cited by researchers during the height of the conflict, underscores the staggering scale of sexual violence in the Democratic  Republic of  Congo  (DRC). Jolie has insisted that the world cannot ignore the connection between consumer convenience and Congolese suffering. The film shows how the demand for coltan, a mineral used to make the capacitors in mobile phones, fuels armed groups that use rape as a weapon to control mining areas.

In a recent statement, Jolie praised Mukwege as “one of the greatest advocates of our time” and called him “a healer of minds and bodies.” She has worked with him for more than a decade. Although Mukwege’s efforts have saved thousands of women, Jolie argues that impunity persists and the situation is worsening. “We can no longer accept silence,” she said, urging viewers of the film to recognise that the minerals in their phones are tied to sexual violence and to demand accountability from the companies and governments benefiting from Congo’s wealth.

Who Is Dr. Denis Mukwege and Why Does the Film Matter?

Dr Denis Mukwege is a Congolese gynaecologist and founder of Panzi Hospital in Bukavu. Since 1999, he and his team have treated tens of thousands of women and girls who were raped during conflict. Mukwege has survived assassination attempts and continues to denounce the use of sexual violence as a tactic of war. His holistic approach provides medical, psychological, legal, and socio‑economic support for survivors. In 2018, he shared the Nobel Peace Prize for “his efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war.”

“Muganga: Celui qui soigne,” directed by French filmmaker Marie‑Hélène Roux and produced by Cynthia Pinet, dramatizes Mukwege’s partnership with Belgian surgeon Guy‑Bernard Cadière. The film follows Mukwege’s daily work and the courage of the women who rebuild their lives. According to an AFP report, the biopic also highlights that the conflict in eastern Congo is a “forgotten war” and that violence is escalating because Rwanda‑backed rebels such as M23 have overrun parts of the region.

Jolie joined the project because she believes a feature film can reach audiences who might “close their eyes” during a documentary. She hopes it will spark conversations about the cost of the electronics we use and the heroism of Congolese survivors.

Why Genocost and Coltan Are Central

Eastern Congo is rich in minerals, including coltan, gold, and cobalt, but this wealth has brought suffering. Armed groups, some backed by neighbouring Rwanda, fight to control mining sites and finance their operations. Sexual violence is used strategically to terrorise communities and force people off resource‑rich land. During the peak of conflict, researchers estimated that 48 women were raped every hour; advocacy groups say the real number is likely higher. The Panzi Foundation notes that rape is employed to instil fear, destabilise communities, and enable militias to exploit mines.

This pattern has led Congolese activists to adopt the term “Genocost” genocide linked to economic exploitation, to describe decades of massacres, rape, and displacement fuelled by the illegal extraction of resources. On 2 August 2025, a national day of remembrance, President Félix Tshisekedi urged parliament to recognise the mass killings and rapes as genocide. He pledged to take the campaign to international forums.

Public Calls for Justice: Tshisekedi’s UN Appeal