WHERE VICTIMS

TRANSFORM


INTO SURVIVORS

WASHINGTON, February 19, 2025 – The U.S. Office of Panzi Foundation is proud to announce that Ms. Brahmy Poologasingham has joined its Board of Directors, effective January 12, 2026. A prominent human rights lawyer, Ms. Poologasingham has dedicated her career to advancing truth, justice, and accountability for vulnerable communities, particularly survivors of sexual violence.

Ms. Poologasingham brings more than two decades of experience in foreign policy, humanitarian assistance, and peacebuilding, with a focus on transitional justice and atrocity prevention. Most recently, she served as a Foreign Affairs and National Security staffer (Brookings Fellow) in the office of Congressman Jamie Raskin in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Since 2009, she has worked closely with survivors of conflict-related sexual violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, developing a deep understanding of the importance of survivor-centered, holistic care, from reproductive health services to psychosocial support and legal assistance.

Previously, Ms. Poologasingham spent 11 years leading the Transitional Justice and Accountability portfolio at the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL). There, she advanced accountability and rule of law efforts in complex post-conflict settings across Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America, including extensive engagement in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Her work strengthened institutional responses to mass atrocities and supported long-term reconciliation and durable peace.

She has also held senior leadership roles at the Eastern Congo Initiative and the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI), and earlier in her career contributed to South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

A recognized expert on gender and conflict-related sexual violence, Ms. Poologasingham has led global initiatives advancing survivor-centered justice, including the Dignity in Documentation Initiative (DIDI), and has supported implementation of the Murad Code and the Red Line Initiative.

“We are honored to have Brahmy join us in our efforts to end rape as a weapon of war, and to expand peace and justice in the Democratic Republic of Congo,” said Panzi’s founder and 2018 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Dr. Denis Mukwege. “Brahmy and I have worked together since 2009, and her unwavering commitment to women and children is evident throughout her human rights career. We look forward to partnering with her to expand access to holistic care and raise awareness about the root causes of sexual violence in conflict.”

“Dr. Mukwege and the staff at Panzi have shown us that true healing begins with rights: survivors of conflict related sexual violence must lead, their voices must be heard, and justice must be non-negotiable,” says Ms. Poologasingham. “I am deeply honored to join the Panzi Board, and I am committed to supporting Congolese survivors’ rights, amplifying their voices, and ensuring justice guides every step of their healing.”

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About Panzi Foundation
Panzi Hospital and Foundation provides survivors of sexual violence with access to compassionate, holistic care in the Democratic Republic of Congo. At Panzi, survivors receive comprehensive health services, psychosocial support, job-skills training and socio-economic reintegration opportunities, as well as access to legal services. Since 1999, Panzi has served over 87,000 survivors across the country, empowering them to not only survive, but to thrive as they rebuild their lives.

Seventy-five Nobel Laureates have united their voices to call for decisive action to end the humanitarian crisis in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Led by Panzi Foundation and Hospital founder, Dr. Denis Mukwege, the initiative highlights the devastating human cost of inaction and calls for concrete measures, including the withdrawal of foreign forces and the establishment of an international tribunal.

Learn more about the appeal and see the list of Nobel Laureate signatories here.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been under an unprecedented existential threat for more than 25 years, with the aggression of the Kigali regime and the invasion of large swathes of national territory, taking the form of annexation with the establishment of illegitimate parallel administrations, in violation of the United Nations Charter and international law, and in defiance of calls for a ceasefire and the withdrawal of occupying forces.

It is in this alarming context that we take advantage of the 12th anniversary of the Framework Agreement for Peace, Security and Cooperation in the DRC and the Region, signed in Addis Ababa on February 24, 2013, to reaffirm that it is the only peace agreement aimed at addressing the root causes of armed violence and instability.

There is an urgent need to revitalize the “Accord of Hope”, in which the Congolese state, the countries of the region and the international community came together to achieve lasting peace in the DRC and the African Great Lakes region by adopting a series of commitments whose effective implementation was to be facilitated by follow-up mechanisms at national, regional and international level to consolidate a strategy for peace and development.

It is regrettable to note that the lack of political will on the part of the Congolese authorities, coupled with the bad faith of the destabilizing states in the region and the lack of diplomatic mobilization on the part of the co-sponsoring institutions, has led to the deterioration of a situation which today threatens international peace and security.

It is never too late to act and adopt urgent and decisive measures to put pressure on the forces of aggression and occupation and stem the escalation of the crisis. The DRC’s partner countries and institutions, in particular the co-sponsors of the Framework Agreement, can no longer accept or tolerate these flagrant violations of international law without reacting firmly.

The time has come to move from words to deeds. Like all peoples, the Congolese nation has the right to self-determination and to live in peace. The failure of the signatories to the Framework Agreement to respect their commitments, and their repeated calls for an immediate ceasefire and unconditional withdrawal from the zones occupied by the Rwandan army and the M23, must be accompanied by vigorous sanctions and the suspension of military and security cooperation by all states and institutions with leverage over the parties to the conflict.

For those who wish to know more about the Framework Agreement, its potentials and the lack of implementation of the commitments made by the Congolese State, neighboring countries and the international community, please read our publication made at the 10th anniversary in 2013.