Denis Mukwege, Nadia Murad share Nobel Peace Prize for fighting sexual violence

OSLO, Norway — Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad were awarded the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict, the Nobel committee announced Friday.

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The award was announced by the Nobel committee at the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo, Norway. It is given each year to the person or group that has done the most to advance world peace.

Mukwege has devoted his life to defending victims of war-time sexual violence. Murad has told the harrowing stories of the abuses perpetrated against herself and others. She was one of an estimated 3,000 Yazidi girls and women who were victims of rape and other abuses

Last year's winner was the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, which was the 23rd organization to win the prize since it was established in 1901.

Other candidates included President Donald Trump, Pope Francis, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

North Korea’s Kim Jong-un and South Korea’s Moon Jae-in met at the border between the two countries and have taken tentative steps toward achieving nuclear disarmament. In September, Kim pledged to denuclearize with foreign inspectors in attendance.

Also nominated was Pope Francis, who was a longshot because no pope has ever won the Nobel Peace Prize.

There were 331 nominees for the prize, according to the Nobel committee. Of that number, 216 were individuals and 115 were groups. It is the second-highest number of candidates, behind only the 2016 nominees.

Cox Media Group