Born in Ixelles, Belgium, in 1946, Colette BRAECKMAN has no family ties with Congo. However, having become a journalist at ‘‘La Cité’’ after studying languages, she has always been interested in Africa. After having been hired at ‘‘Le Soir’’ and having travelled as a reporter across Africa and the world, she focused on Central Africa since the 1980s, covering the end of Mobutu’s regime and the Belgo-Zairean diplomatic clashes, the genocide in Rwanda, the two DRCongo wars and all political developments in the DRCongo. In addition to numerous articles in “Le Soir” and publications in numerous newspapers, she has written several books, including:

« Le Dinosaure ou le Zaïre de Mobutu » (Editions Fayard)

« Terreur Africaine » (Fayard)

« Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, les racines de la violence » (Fayard)

« Rwanda, histoire d’un génocide » (Fayard)

«  Les Nouveaux prédateurs » (Fayard)

« L’homme qui répare les femmes, le combat du Docteur Mukwege, » (GRIP-André Versaille)

« Kinshasa aller-retour » (Nevicata)

« Rwanda mille collines mille douleurs » (Nevicata).

Doctor honoris causa of the University of Liège, Colette BRAECKMAN who still writes in “Le Soir” also publishes her articles on a blog “Le carnet de Colette Braeckman“, a blog she used to send her message to the Catholic University of Bukavu after being awarded her title of Doctor honoris hausa. Read hear the message of Collette BRAECKMAN to the Catholic University of Bukavu.

By awarding the title of Doctor honoris causa to Colette BRAECKMAN, UCB honored her for her exceptional and incomparable contribution to information in Central Africa in general, and in DR Congo in particular.